They Call Me Stupid
by What the Quell
Summary: They called him stupid because they didn't understand. They didn't know that there was so much more to the story, that he had so much to fight for. The Hunger Games from Marvel's POV. Second installment of Vicious.
1. Reasons

Chapter One: Reasons

I have my reasons for volunteering – good ones, too. I'm not the type to do stuff just for the hell of it, despite what some people think. Anyone who says otherwise isn't worth my time.

There are two people that are quite possibly going to kill me for this, though, if the other tributes don't manage to do it first.

Emerald – I call her Em. It's just easier, and she doesn't seem to mind. My little sister has never understood why I want to volunteer for the Hunger Games, but I don't expect her to. She's twelve, and has never faced the risk – for lack of a better word – of the reaping until now. She hasn't experienced the rush of adrenaline that shoots through the veins of everyone in the square as our mindless escort, Juna Gyde, reads out the names of District One's next competitors. Actually, that's almost never the case. I can't remember a single year when any tribute from One actually had their name pulled from the reaping ball. When I first told her about my plan to volunteer, a few years back, she looked at me like I was completely insane and asked, "Why would you want to travel to some strange place and fight to the death when you could do so much better here?"

I couldn't explain it.

Diamond… I waited to tell my best friend until about a year ago, which was a _huge_ mistake. When I finally manage to stutter the dreaded words, "Di… I-I'm volunteering for the G-Games next s-summer," she slapped me so hard my eye swelled shut, and she didn't speak to me for weeks. And when she finally came around, she continued to try to talk me out of volunteering until… well, this morning.

"_Marvel," she whispers pleadingly. "You don't have to do this."_

_I sigh. "Yeah, I do. I know it must be hard to understand, but… I have my reasons. Please, trust me on this, all right? There's nothing here for me right now."_

_Oops. That… was not a smart thing to say. I watch in horror and, I'll admit, maybe fear as her face screws up in anger. "What about me?" she shouts, transitioning from beseeching to furious so fast it's mind boggling. "What about me, Marvel? You're going to just leave me here, with no one else – don't look at me like that, you know it's true! You're going to let me just deal with everything if you die?" She says this unflinchingly. "What about me? And more importantly, what about Em?"_

_I wince. "Em will be fine! She's not a baby, she can take care of herself, and you already said it was okay for her to come live with you for a few weeks – "_

"_That's not the point!" she screams. "You're missing the point completely! What if you die? Do you think she'll just be okay with that? You're her brother, doesn't that mean anything? You're supposed to be there for her, and you're leaving, and I don't know why – and – God, Marvel, why are y-you so… so s-stupid?" Diamond is crying brokenly, now, and I instinctively wrap my arms around her. It takes all the strength I have not to change my plans._

_But I know I can't._

That's what Em and Di don't understand – I'm doing this for _them_, so that they can have better lives, and I know that sounds ridiculous but it's the truth. My parents died when I was twelve, in a fire. Em was six, and I know she hardly remembers them.

Dad was the overseer of a lot of gem production – he was a major big shot, I think they actually asked him to move to the Capitol at one point. That's what Mom said, anyway. She stayed at home with Em and me. Mom was the best – she loved us, which is the important thing, and she was always… well, there. Until she wasn't. Until neither of them were.

Sometimes, when Em thinks I'm asleep, I hear her crying, and I'd bet anything it's over them. And I have to listen to my little sister sobbing her heart out over the parents she barely remembers.

That's why I have to volunteer. Em deserves better than that. I want her to be able to live in a nice house, not our small apartment – yes, even in District One not everyone is rich – and have good food to eat, not the mediocre stuff we buy off the miniscule Hunger Games Trainee salary I make. I want her to have friends, lots of them, instead of avoiding everyone at school because she's afraid of getting hurt like she was with our parents.

I want her to be happy.

And Di… she deserves to have _everything._ She wasn't kidding when she claimed to have no one left – some rare disease killed her parents when she was just a baby, and she was brought up in an orphanage. When she was thirteen the Peacekeepers who ran the place decided to let Diamond get an apartment of her own, and… well, that's how we met. She moved in right next door to me and Em – we were granted our apartment after the fire by some Peacekeepers after I was deemed responsible enough.

"_Marvel!" Emerald squeals. "There's someone moving in!"_

_I sigh. This isn't the first time eight-year-old Em has invented an imaginary friend to move in next door, and every time I've been fooled into thinking we were actually getting new neighbors. That fact makes me a bit… irascible now._

"_Sure, Em," I say sarcastically. "Let me guess, she's exactly your age, looks like your favorite doll, and wants to be best friends, right?"_

_Em gives me her best pouting face. "No. She's tall, almost as tall as you, she has light hair, and she's carrying in a box from the pile by her door right now!"_

_My eyes widen – she seems to be actually telling the truth this time – and I wrench the door open forcefully._

_She wasn't lying – there's a girl who looks like she's just a bit younger than me standing next to the door by ours. There's a small pile of boxes a couple feet away, and the girl is having difficulty opening the door while holding onto a box she can barely fit her arms around._

"_Need some help?" I ask politely. The girl whips around to face me, eyes wide. She stands still for a moment, her expression sharp, but after carefully assessing me and apparently deciding I look harmless enough, her gaze softens._

"_Please," she says gratefully. I grin and take the box from her, allowing her to open the door._

"_Where do you want this?" I ask. She shrugs._

"_Oh, wherever," she says dismissively. "I'll set everything up later."_

_I nod and set the box down near the door. Then turn to face the girl and hold out my hand._

"_I'm Marvel," I tell her. "I live right next door with my little sister, Emerald." She smiles sweetly and shakes my hand._

"_I'm Diamond."_

_I smile. "I take it you're new?"_

_Diamond snorted. "What gave it away?"_

_I had a feeling we'd be good friends._

Yep, that's Di for you – sweet but sarcastic, funny, and a kind person in general. I know she detests the Hunger Games, so she felt all the more betrayed when I told her I was going to volunteer.

_It's not my fault!_ I feel like screaming. _There's nothing else for me to do – and it's not like I won't be back in a couple of weeks!_

That's the thing, though. I don't think she believes I'll come back at all. It's ridiculous – I've been training for this since I was thirteen, and I'm eighteen now. There's no way I can lose.

It's all for them, I swear it is. When I win and come home, we can leave our tiny apartment and move into Victor's Village. Di can come live with us – we wouldn't just leave her, of course. We'll be rich – good thing, too, because I only earn a small amount of money by training for the Games, and that's just so that they can keep me healthy, or not dead, anyway. Em will be thrilled with having a new sort of life, and I can't wait for her to have everything she's ever wanted. And Di… well, the same thing goes for her.

I've given many second thoughts to volunteering over the past few years. But… then I look at my sister and my best friend, and I know that it'll all be worth it in the end.

Those two are my reasons for volunteering. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them... and dying is no exception.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, everyone! No, you're not dreaming... I'm back. It's a new year, so here's a new fic for you. I'm really excited about writing The Hunger Games from Marvel's point of view, since I made him into such an easy-to-hate character in Winning is Everything. It's going to be a lot of fun to create his personality, I've got a lot of it planned out and I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks.<strong>

**On an important note, I'm not going to be updating this fic as often as I did for Winning is Everything. For one thing, it's been really hard for me to find time to work on They Call Me Stupid since I'm in school now, unlike when I wrote the majority of my other story. In addition to that, I've only gotten three chapters written so far, which doesn't give me much of a cushion to fall back on. Also, I've found that, while writing Clove's character came very naturally to me, Marvel is a lot harder. The words don't come as easily. So updates will probably be about once a week.**

**I think that's everything, so, as always, REVIEW, and I'll post the next chapter sometime next week. :)**

**~What the Quell**


	2. No Room for Second Thoughts

Chapter Two: No Room for Second Thoughts

"Em!" I call out. "Wrong way!"

My sister blushes. "Right," she mumbles, and she quickly scampers over to the back of the square where the twelve-year-olds are supposed to stand. I sigh and shake my head, exasperated. I love my sister, but she should really know not to follow me to the eighteen-year-old section.

I turn back to the stage, where I had been watching Mayor Plum talk quietly with Star and Jasper, District One's mentors for this year. Juna Gyde flounces around nearby, looking foolish with a bright blue wig and matching suit. I roll my eyes – our escort has always irritated me to no end.

Glancing at the clock, I note that it's almost 8:00 – the reaping will officially begin soon. In District One we have to be here pretty early. The reapings start half an hour apart throughout the country – One is at 8:00, Two at 8:30, up until Twelve at 2:00. There's a half hour break in between Districts Six and Seven so the Capitol people have time to… do whatever it is they do, I suppose. I don't really care.

I glance across the square and catch Diamond's eye – she's looking at me fearfully from the seventeen-year-old section. I smile at her reassuringly, but her clear eyes are silently begging me not to do this, one more time. I'm almost glad when Mayor Plum taps on the microphone – it gives me an excuse to look away.

"Greetings, people of District One," he begins. Like everyone else in the square, I zone out completely for the next several minutes. I've heard this all before – Panem, our country, lies in a place that was once called North America – what a stupid name. I've heard about the disasters, and about the war, and about how the Capitol rose to power. Districts One through Twelve were defeated. District Thirteen was eliminated. And the Hunger Games were created.

It's simple, really. Twenty-four kids. One arena. One survivor. The other twenty-three never return to their families… if they even had a family to begin with.

Em and Di have never really appreciated how fascinating the Games really are. As much as dying must suck for the kids… well, no one can deny that creating the Games was a brilliant move by the Capitol after the war. What better way to keep us in line than constantly reminding us that we have no power, no control?

Of course, this is coming from someone who has never lost anyone to the Games. To me, the tributes are faceless machines – I couldn't tell you the names of any past tribute, besides the victors, if you paid me. It would be hard to lose someone you care about in this way, I get that, but how can I be expected to understand? I've lost my parents, yes, but not to the Games.

I've never understood exactly why some people hate the Games so much. It could be worse, right? Our ancestors made some big mistakes. We're paying for it now, and we'll continue to pay for it until the end of time. At least the Capitol didn't decide to kill us all. What's losing a few kids a year compared to that?

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," Mayor Plum finishes with a flourish. I snap back to the present – I've trained myself very well to react to that line, because now the real fun begins and it's best to be alert.

The next part of the ceremony includes the mayor reading the list of past victors from District One. In seventy-four years, we've had eleven. That's more than any other district… except for Two. There's always been a bit of a rivalry there. The tributes from One and Two, while usually allies, never get along well.

We all know the names of our victors by heart, of course… the first names, anyway. There's Star and Jasper, our mentors this year. A few of them I've even met before – Cashmere and Gloss were friends of my parents, as were Shine and Dazzle. The other seven are – or were, in some cases – Silk, Lilac, Crystal, Gleam, Shimmer, Sapphire, and Alabaster.

Only Star and Jasper are present – the other nine are either long dead, partying in the Capitol, or drinking themselves into oblivion. Now Juna Gyde flounces to the front of the stage, practically shoving the mayor out of the way as Jasper and Star stand up briefly to acknowledge the thunderous applause directed at them from the square.

"Hello, everyone!" she gushes. "It's finally the day we've all been waiting for since… probably since last year's Victory Tour, to be honest!" The crowd forces a laugh. These Capitol people…

"Well, the time has come to pick District One's tributes for the seventy-fourth Hunger Games!" she crows, and this time the crowd responds enthusiastically. Juna skips over to the first of two large reaping balls sitting in the center of the stage and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd holds its breath as she walks back to the podium.

"Citrine Sumner," she reads. For a moment all I feel is relief that the name doesn't belong to Diamond or Emerald.

Citrine Sumner… I recognize the name. It belongs to a tiny fifteen-year-old with jet-black hair – which is rare in District One – and equally startling dark eyes. I seek her out in the crowd – her head is held high as she takes the first step to the stage, but before she gets far a cry comes from the eighteen-year-old section.

"I volunteer!"

I can't see whoever the girl is over the heads of all the citizens straining to see our newest tribute, but this is standard. When the girl finally climbs the steps to the stage and turns around, I recognize her as another Games trainee… I think she's about a year younger than me. I don't know her name, but Juna Gyde quickly changes that.

"And what's your name, sweetie?" she asks.

The girl smiles and leans in towards the microphone, her bright green eyes shining. "Glimmer Wingfield," she says proudly, flipping back her long blond hair. I roll my eyes.

The crowd gives her a round of applause, and I find myself leaning towards the stage in anticipation. It's time.

Juna Gyde marches back over to the reaping balls and takes a slip of paper from the second one. I swear, she's walking deliberately slowly back to the podium just to draw out the tension… or attention, more likely. Capitol people are so self-centered.

I can't help but look over at Di one last time, and as soon as I do I know it's a mistake. I feel my resolve wavering as I stare into her eyes for a few precious seconds… but I know I have to look away.

_It's for her_. I repeat the chant in my head. _It's for her, it's for her, it's for her._

Making sure to take a ridiculously deep breath, the escort _finally_ reads, "Zircon Reynolds."

"I volunteer!" I shout, unwilling to waste even a second. The crowd parts for me and I race to the stage. "I volunteer," I repeat breathlessly.

Juna Gyde beams. "Fabulous. Come up on stage, dear." I do so quickly.

"What's your name?"

"Marvel Hawkwood," I say clearly. I look out into the crowd, and despite everything, I have to suppress a chuckle. Though the situation isn't exactly humorous, I can't help but find the identical expressions of fury on the faces of Em and Di somewhat comical.

_Em and Di._ All of a sudden, I'm terrified. What are they going to do? What happens if I die? Where will they go?

_What did I just do?_

"There you have it, District One," our escort says, beaming. I shake my head and force my expression back to careless and amused… it would be a bad idea to look scared up here. The other tributes will mark me as a weakling… can't have that. "Our two newest tributes, Glimmer Wingfield and Marvel Hawkwood!"

I can't stop the small smirk that appears on my face – it feels so good to be on the stage, knowing I'm going to be in the Games, knowing I can finally fight – literally – to help my sister and my best friend.

Mayor Plum steps back up to the podium and spends the next several minutes reading the Treaty of Treason while Glimmer and I just stand next to each other awkwardly. I allow myself to zone out once again until the mayor finishes reading.

I shake Glimmer's hand, and okay, I admit it, might use more force than is strictly necessary. I have to hand it to her, though – she doesn't flinch.

The anthem plays, and we're escorted off the stage by a small force of Peacekeepers. I keep my head high and don't look at anyone – especially the Capitol reporters surrounding us. I just hold a straight face until we reach the Justice Building.

This is all routine, of course – I'll have one hour with Emerald and Diamond. No one else will come to see me. The Peacekeepers show me to a room and then leave, locking the door behind them. As if I'd try to escape.

I bite my lip nervously. Em and Di are going to kill me when they get here… so my anticipation of seeing them is slightly marred by dread of my impending demise.

I spare the room I'm in a glance. It's nice, although for some reason everything in the room seems to sparkle. There are gems everywhere – the people here like to show district pride, and it seems our government officials are no exception.

A Peacekeeper pokes her head inside the room. "There are two girls here to see you. One says she's your sister. Would you like to see them separately or together?"

I gulp. "Together." If they're both shouting at once, maybe I won't be able to completely understand the words that will undoubtedly slice through me like knives.

Emerald and Diamond enter the room, and I close my eyes in fear.

* * *

><p><strong>So here's the second chapter, hope you like it. It's not my favorite, I like the next one a lot better, but this was necessary to get through. Please review, and the next update will be a week from now. :)<strong>

**~What the Quell**


	3. Saying Goodbye

Chapter Three: Saying Goodbye

"Marvel!" Em cries, rushing into the room immediately. I'd thought I'd prepared myself, but I had been expecting yelling, anger, maybe even violence – but I'm completely caught off guard by my sister's tears.

I wrap my arms around her and she buries her face in my shoulder. "Hey," I whisper. "It's okay. I promise, it's okay."

"No, it's not," she wails. "I don't want you to go!"

"I know," I say quietly. "I know, Em. But I have to – it's too late to change my mind even if I wanted to. And besides, I'll be back in a couple of weeks."

Em sniffs and looks up at me, her eyes bloodshot. "But what if you don't come back?" she whispers, her voice barely audible.

A lump has formed in my throat, and I swallow hard before responding. "I _will_ come back. I promise."

She nods tearfully, and I force myself to look away from her and meet Diamond's eyes. She hasn't said anything so far, which worries me – she always has something to say. I only have an hour left with my two favorite people in the world before I leave for the Capitol, and I don't want to waste a single second.

"Di?" I ask cautiously.

She barely glances at me, but it's enough to show me that her eyes, like my sister's, are filled with tears.

"Em," I say softly. "Why don't you go wait in the hall for a couple of minutes? I'll tell the Peacekeeper to send you back in soon."

She nods. "Okay," she mumbles. I gently lead her outside.

"Can you have her wait out here for about five minutes, and then send her back in?" I ask the Peacekeeper. He nods, not saying a word.

"Thanks," I mutter, turning around and closing the door behind me.

Di hasn't moved a muscle.

"Hey," I say quietly.

She turns around slowly, blinking. Her arms are wrapped around her torso, as if she's trying to hold herself together.

Without thinking, I stride over to her and engulf her in a huge bear hug. "I'm sorry," I whisper as she finally breaks down and starts sobbing.

"How could you?" she whispers brokenly. I feel a little piece of myself shatter.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I repeat the words over and over again, hoping that maybe if I say it enough then it will make everything okay.

She sniffs, trying to pull herself together. I know she hates to appear weak. "You're an idiot," she tells me, her voice breaking. "I can't believe you're doing this."

"I'm sorry," I say again. "It's for you, you know," I say softly. "You and Em."

Her eyes turn to slits. "You're. Risking. Your. Life. For. Me?" Her voice is almost a shriek now. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

My eyes widen. "Diamond! Calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she shouts furiously. "Why did you think you needed to volunteer for me, Marvel? I know I don't have a lot going for me, but I'm not starving, I'm not completely poor, I'm not alone! Or at least I wasn't – now I will be!"

"But it could be better," I remind her. "And when I come home – _I will come home_, I promise you – everything will be different. The three of us will move into Victor's Village. We'll have everything we need. We don't have anyone to support us but ourselves, and don't you see? This is going to take care of everything for the rest of our lives!"

I can see that Di's eyes are flooding with tears again as she reaches a trembling hand into her pocket and takes something else. Silently, she takes my wrist and ties a short brown band around it. "My mom gave it to me. Before she died, I mean. Will you wear it? In the arena?" She looks up at me.

I smile. "Of course." Then I hug her and try to tell her without words again how sorry I am, and that nothing will keep me from coming back home.

The Peacekeeper opens the door and Em walks back into the room, heading straight back for my arms. For about five minutes we all just stand there, and I find myself almost wishing I hadn't volunteered, just so I would never have to let go.

Eventually, I pull away and lead them both to the couch. We sit, for the remainder of the hour we've been allotted, and I remind them that I'll come home. That I won't break my promise. That I love them both. And they pretend to be strong, holding in their tears, because they know it'll just make it harder for me to leave if they don't. there will be time for grieving later.

The Peacekeepers know we're on a schedule, though, and it seems as though it's only been seconds before they come to escort Em and Di from the room. I hug them each one more time, tell them goodbye.

Em clings to me desperately up until the last second, and Diamond holds firmly onto my hand until the Peacekeepers have to drag them both away. Em can't resist, she's so little, but Di is stronger and manages to fling her arms around my neck, kiss my cheek, and whisper _goodbye_ before she's overpowered.

"I love you!" I call out to them, and I know they hear me because they send the message back one more time before the door slams.

Before I know what's happened, I've been escorted to the train that will take me and Glimmer from District One to the Capitol. I'm shown to my room by Juna Gyde, and she tells me that lunch will be in two hours and I should meet my mentors in the dining car on time. There's a clock next to my bed, so I have no excuse to be late. Until then, I'm free to do as I wish.

That's good, because I really need a nap. This morning – the tears, the shouting, the reassurances, the regret – its' been exhausting. Might as well sleep now, while I can, instead of losing consciousness of at the table in front of Glimmer and the mentors. That would be a bad first impression.

I mess with the alarm clock until I figure out how to set a time limit, and then I pass out without another thought. Sadly, it feels like I've only been asleep for a couple of seconds before the alarm goes off and I have to drag myself out of the bed and into the dining car.

I'm the last one there. Star and Jasper sit side by side, talking quietly. Glimmer is seated across from them, next to an empty seat that I suppose has been reserved for me. Suddenly it occurs to me that I'm a mess – and I'm the only one still wearing the same clothes. I try to remember if Juna Gyde had maybe told me to change, but I don't recall that happening, so I shrug it off.

"So, what's the plan for today?" I ask, taking a seat.

"Nothing much," Star replies. I narrow my eyes. I know I can't trust this one – she'll be Glimmer's mentor, not mine. It's not her job to keep _me_ alive. I turn to Jasper instead.

He chuckles. "She's right, Marvel. The opening ceremonies will be tomorrow, of course, and we'll arrive sometime in the middle of the night today, or tomorrow morning, as it may be. So you're free to do whatever you want… although I would highly recommend getting started on your strategy."

Sounds legit. "Okay. They won't be around for that, right?" I ask, nodding towards Star and Glimmer, who both look slightly offended.

Jasper laughs again. "Of course not – if they're smart, they'll be figuring out Glimmer's strategy. They won't want you around any more than you want them here."

I hear Glimmer huff. "That's nice," she mutters.

I smirk. "Thanks," I say, because I know it'll annoy her.

Star shoots an irritated look at me. "Just eat, you guys, and then we can all get out of here and start with the strategies."

I fill up a plate with food, and even though I think I've found a hobby in annoying Star and Glimmer, I can't make myself eat slowly to piss them off. The food – there's so much and it's so good and it's nothing like the stuff I have to eat back in District One. I stuff myself until I'm about to burst.

Turns out I haven't completely failed in driving the girls crazy – they're both staring at me, looking completely disgusted.

"What?" I ask with my mouth full of potatoes.

Star wrinkles her nose. "Let's go, Glimmer," she says haughtily. "Before that _thing_ makes me puke."

"Yes, because that's my life's goal," I say loudly and sarcastically as the two of them nearly sprint from the room. I turn back around to find Jasper snickering.

"This is going to be an interesting week," he says. "At the rate you're going, _already_, I'm not sure you'll even make it into the arena before Star decides to kill you herself. Look out, kid – she's absolutely wicked with a machete."

"I'm not worried," I say airily. "I can take care of myself."

"Against a couple of kids, sure," Jasper agrees. "Not against an experienced killer. What's your weapon?"

"A spear," I say, making sure to sound careless. "But I'm decent with knives, too."

He nods thoughtfully. "Okay. I can work with that." He doesn't speak for a couple of minutes before continuing.

"Tomorrow, you'll make your debut at the opening ceremonies, yes? Being from District One, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a good stylist. You'll be wearing the same outfit as Glimmer, more or less – don't whine, you can suck it up for an hour or two. And then training starts the next day."

I nod. "I know." I've been watching the Games since I was a kid, it's required for every citizen of Panem, both in the Capitol and the districts. I know how it works.

"We need to figure out the best way for you to appear to your allies – and your opponents," Jasper tells me. "As you know, tributes have presented themselves in every way imaginable over the years." I nod again. "Some play the part of a weakling, some act arrogant and tough, others still choose to just blend in. The smart tributes, the ones who come up with a personality that can win them rich sponsors, fool the other tributes, and get the audience to root for them – those are the tributes that usually wind up as the victors."

I nod again slowly – what he's saying makes sense. "So… what angle to you think we should go with, then?"

He frowns. "I'm not completely sure yet. I don't think the overly tough ploy is going to work – you look strong, don't get me wrong, but no offense, kid… you're just not quite up to that yet. And you'll never pull off trying to act like a weakling – usually it's only the girls that can manage that one, anyway."

I scowl – the comment about not being _tough enough_ has gotten to me. "What's your brilliant idea, then?" I ask irritably.

Jasper looks thoughtful again. "Do you have any siblings, Marvel?" he asks abruptly.

Startled, I say, "Yeah, I have a sister, but what does that have to do with what my angle's going to be?"

"We could always go with the protective older brother," he says slowly. "It could work."

I consider it. "Maybe. Will it be enough on it's own, though?" I ask.

"Maybe we should mix in a little more," Jasper says in a low voice. "Have you taken any classes with Glimmer before? Any at all?"

I raise my eyebrows. "No. I'm a year ahead of her in school."

"Have you ever spoken to her before today?"

"No… I barely recognized her when he volunteered."

"Good," he says quietly. "And with everything you've said today… yes, this could work perfectly." Jasper sits straight up in his chair with gleaming eyes, looking mischievous. "Marvel Hawkwood, from this moment on until you win the Games, I officially declare you to be the biggest idiot in Panem."

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><p><strong>So, this is my favorite chapter I've written so far... I'm excited about the next one too though. Marvel's such an interesting character... I have a lot of plans for this story. :)<strong>

**Guys, please, please review this time? The last chapter only got one review. :( That's the reason I write this stuff, so I can get feedback. Not reviewing is like telling me I shouldn't bother posting. :( So please, let me know what you thought... otherwise I'm going to have no motivation to write and updates won't come as often as they are now.**

**On a happier note, I'll be really excited to post the next chapter, because it shows Marvel's thoughts on his new allies... it's fun to write everyone from a different perspective than Winning is Everything. And I can clear a lot up from the other fic, it's so hard for me to go back and read parts of it when I need it as a reference... ugh! It's literally painful. My writing has changed so much since then.**

**So yeah, please review, and I'll update again next week! :) And everyone enjoy their holiday tomorrow. Don't you love not having school? (Too bad it's replaced with practice at 6:00 in the morning for some of us... cough, my coach is mental, cough.) ;)**

**~What the Quell :)**


	4. Meet the Crew

Chapter Four: Meet the Crew

I spend the next few hours talking with Jasper as he gives me tips on how to maintain the whole idiot act – say stupid things, act clueless, but not _too_ clueless or my allies will see through the ruse. This could be my only chance to gain the upper hand over the rest of the tributes, and I have to take every advantage I can if I want to make it home.

Before too long it's time for dinner, and the four of us are served another ridiculously large meal full of rich delicacies. I eat quickly again, deliberately this time, just to see the horrified looks that Glimmer and Star throw me. As long as they don't want to be here, they'll leave quickly so that I can continue talking strategy with Jasper. I don't want to look at them, either… I hate to admit it, but Glimmer reminds me of District One, and… well, I can't afford to think about home. I have to focus.

"What else do we need to go through?" I ask Jasper immediately after Star and Glimmer depart. He casts me a warning glance and waits a few seconds before responding.

"I had to make sure they were gone. Anyway, you're a determined one, aren't you? Listen, staying up all night talking isn't going to get you anywhere. Go to sleep, kid, you've got a lot to get through tomorrow. We can talk in the morning."

I frown, but I know arguing will get me nowhere. Besides, I don't want to provoke my mentor, this person who viciously killed seven tributes in his own Games.

Morning comes quickly – too quickly, because I don't want to go through all the pre-Games steps before the arena. I don't see why it's necessary to cover us in makeup and teach us to smile before forcing us to slaughter each other.

As it turns out, I don't even get a chance to go over much strategy for the day with Jasper before I'm shipped off to the Remake Center to be prepared for the Opening Ceremonies. "Don't struggle – your stylist will know what's best. Got it? I know her personally, and I know for a fact that she's much better than the two idiots they gave to District Two this year. The prep team will be irritating, but don't condescend to them or you'll look like an idiot… more than you're supposed to, I mean. Good luck, I'll see you in a few hours." This is all he has time to say before the Peacekeepers take Glimmer and me to our stylists.

When it comes down to it, the members of my prep team aren't as bad as I anticipated. Bejanji, Piloo, and Shivaux may be the most naïve humans I've ever met, but they're harmless. Their nonstop chatter gives me something to focus on besides what they're actually doing, which is making me look like anything but myself.

Maybe the only thing stranger than the way these three talk is the way they look. Each is… um, unique, in their own way. Bejanji has gems implanted all over his body – he looks like a rainbow, sparkling whenever the light catches the gems. Piloo has altered herself to the point where she looks like a penguin – _literally_. Her skin is pitch black in some places and snow white in others, and her lips have been made to look like a beak and dyed orange. And as for Shivaux… well, he/she (I can't even tell!) has spikes sticking out from his/her head, and is dyed in swirling patterns of green and blue.

After what has to be at least four hours, the prep team calls in my stylist – Lumina, I think they refer to her as. It's about time, I'm sick of being around these brainless idiots. It's as if I can feel my brain cells dying just listening to them.

"Hello, Marvel." I turn my head to face my stylist as she walks into the room, wondering what oddities this one has brought upon herself. When she's standing right in front of me, I can make a fair assessment, and overall, she's not half as strange as I expected. Her hair is so blonde it's almost white, but it's streaked with every color imaginable, and it hangs about halfway to her waist… the odd part is that no part of it is out of place – it's unnatural. But then, everyone is unnatural here. Lumina looks almost… normal, except that there's a strange quality about her… it's almost as if she's _glowing_, literally. Is it because her skin is so pale that it reflects the light? Did she get surgery where the doctors implanted tiny beads of light under her skin? I'm not sure, but I'm unnerved as her eyes, so brown they're almost black, pierce me. They're a striking contrast to the rest of her bright appearance.

I nod. "Um, hi."

She circles around me, eyeing me critically. I can do nothing but stand uncomfortably until she can pass judgment.

"You'll do," she says finally. "I'm working with Glimmer's stylist, and we have your outfits for the Opening Ceremonies ready, okay? I think it'll go quite well with both of you."

Cautiously, I nod. "Um… thank you?"

At this, Lumina actually cracks a smile. "You don't have to be afraid of me, Marvel. I don't bite. I'm here to help you, remember?"

I breathe a silent sigh of relief – I was afraid I'd have to spend the next week dealing with a stylist who was cold and unwilling to help. "Right."

She rolls her wide eyes. "Let's get you dressed, then."

As it turns out, part of our outfits involve a bit of spray paint… silver, at that. My entire body is completely covered – but the effect is actually quite cool. It's as if I'm shining. Then I'm given a pair of khaki pants and a white tunic that's covered in gems of all colors. My hair is left mostly alone, and I won't be wearing any shoes.

Unfortunately, I'm forced into wearing makeup… not much, but what's left of my dignity after the spray painting is taken away as my face is remade. It's beyond ridiculous.

Too soon, we have to meet up with Glimmer and her stylist and the mentors at the bottom floor of the Remake Center, and then we all head over to the City Circle, where the Opening Ceremonies will be held.

I glance over at Glimmer while she's talking to Star – she's dressed mostly like me, but her tunic reaches her knees, and her hair is woven through with jewels too. She looks nice, I suppose, but somehow all I can think is how much nicer Diamond would look in her place – she'd be smiling, like always, plus… well, I already detest Glimmer.

I blink. Thinking about Di won't help me right now. It'll just depress me, and I need to be focused. Smile, wave. Get through this, and get ready for training. I have to meet my allies tomorrow, and I have to act flawlessly in order to get out of here alive.

I sigh and walk over to pat one of our horses – they're almost blindingly white. Then before I know it Star and Jasper are helping us step onto our chariot, and then we're in front of the crowd. And it's all I can do not to fall over, it's so loud and bright and sudden – Glimmer is flashing smiles at the crowd and I realize I ought to be doing the same. So I force a smile and wave a bit, but I have a feeling that my smile probably looks more like a grimace, my waves no more than minor spasms. So in the end I just look straight ahead and try not to give the crowd any death stares.

At first, I don't even notice District Twelve's chariot enter the circle, but then the crowd's screams become even more deafening than before, so I glance around to see what the hype is.

Um, yeah… they're sort of on fire…

The tributes from Two are starring daggers at them, but I just roll my eyes. Pretty costumes won't help anyone in the arena. I really couldn't care less what they're wearing, because I'll kill them in the end, regardless. The prep team had played the recap of the reapings while they tortured me – it provided an hour's distraction, at least. I'd seen the girl volunteer for her sister, and while I'll admit that takes a lot in Twelve, that doesn't make her a victor. And the boy looks weak – one of the richer kids in the poorest district, it looks like. No one in Twelve trains for the Games. They're no threat.

Jasper may kill me for it later, but I just stand with a bored expression as we complete the loop around the circle and listen to President Snow make his speech. What harm can it do, really? I'm supposed to act like an idiot, and it's not like someone with a high intelligence level is going to doze off while listening to the head of the country speak.

It seems like years before we're dismissed, and Glimmer and I make our way through the enormous crowd to the elevator.

"Well, that was fun," she mutters, throwing a resentful glance in the direction of the tributes from Twelve. I smirk in return.

It's a very short ride – we're on the first floor, being from District One. I don't even bother talking to Jasper; I just head straight to what's marked as my room – I'm exhausted, and it's late. I'll have time in the morning. Training doesn't start until ten.

Believe it or not, I actually get a good night's sleep. The bed is comfortable and the room dark – thankfully, Jasper doesn't feel the need to come yell at me for not consulting him before heading to bed. I do have the sense to order a bit of food before I fall asleep – so I don't wake up starving at three in the morning. But after that, all I do is wash the silver paint off of me before collapsing almost instantaneously.

When I wake up, I do feel decently rested – good, because I've got exactly three hours before I have to be down at training. And I want to get there early – hopefully the tributes from Two and Four will as well.

Almost every year, the tributes from Districts One, Two, and Four have been allies in the Games. We come from the strongest districts, the ones who hold the most power with the Capitol, the ones who generally live much healthier lives than in places like Eleven and Twelve. And, assuming that we're keeping the traditional alliance this year, I'll need to be prepared for whatever the others might throw at me.

When I finally make myself crawl out of bed, I see that Lumina has left me an outfit – a dark blue tunic that, in the overdone cliché, matches my eyes, along with black pants and shoes. I shake my head, exasperated, and head over to the dining hall after changing.

Unsurprisingly, no one else is there. It's still fairly early. So I go ahead and help myself to the buffet that an Avox must have laid out – they're mute servants… my parents told me about them when I was younger. My dad had encountered several when he was in the Capitol for work.

After an hour or so, Jasper shows up. "You're awake?"

I shrug. "I crashed early yesterday."

He nods. "Right. Anyway, you know the strategy for today – I won't say anything, I know Star can be quite cunning and may well be listening to us now. We've gone over this, you know what to do, I'm not worried. Just get out there, don't make a fool of yourself, train with the spears as much as you can, got it? Show the others what you can do."

I nod. "Got it."

Glimmer and Star don't show up until after nine, which makes me think they've been discussing strategy privately… away from the people who would exploit anything they heard.

Meaning me, obviously.

Anyway, by the time Star and Jasper usher us onto the elevator and the doors close on us, it's nearly a quarter to ten. After a ride down that's, of course, as short as last night's, it becomes apparent that we're the first ones to show up. Glimmer nearly sprints away from me immediately, and I suppress a snicker. We wait awkwardly in the small area designated for tributes, waiting.

Four is the next district to show. A giant and a small girl – these are the first of our allies. I nod curtly to them, but no one says a word. It's as if we've silently agreed for our other two allies to arrive before saying anything.

I find myself standing closer to Glimmer by the time Two arrives. Maybe because the tributes from Four are slightly intimidating, maybe it's just that the closest thing that resembles home is each other. But it's as if a second unspoken agreement has been formed… this one between my district partner and I. Tolerate each other for now, because though no trust exists here, tributes from other districts are more likely to betray us… even if those tributes are allegedly our allies for the time being.

The tributes from Two finally join us, and we all stand in awkward silence for at least a minute or so. Then, at last, the menacing boy from two introduces himself hesitantly.

"Hi. I'm Cato."

I suppress an eye roll – that's it? Then the girl speaks, as if to spare her district partner the embarrassment. "I'm Clove."

I sigh almost silently and catch Glimmer's eye. _We're stuck with these morons__?_ I ask with my eyes.

She shrugs almost unnoticeably. _Evidently_, she seems to say.

Glimmer steps forward. "I'm Glimmer," she says, rather more boldly than Cato and Clove. "It's a good thing you two showed up – we were starting to worry that someone else would get here before you."

I'm not sure who "we" is, exactly, but she's right, so I speak next. "Yeah. We all have things to discuss." And we've only got five minutes, thanks to these two showing up later than the rest of us. "I'm Marvel, by the way."

We all turn to Four, and the giant finally speaks. "I'm Zen," he says, and then he gestures to the girl. "This is –"

"I can speak for myself, Zen, _thank you_," the girl interrupts, glaring. "I'm Shell."

Cato nods. "Okay. It's… nice… to meet you all." Sure. I'll bet he's dying to slit all our throats while he has the chance. "I assume we're sticking to the traditional alliance?" I glance at Glimmer, who looks bored – this is unnecessary. Everyone nods. "Well, then. The first thing we need to discuss –"

"—is Twelve," Clove finishes for him.

I sigh. Really? Do these fools really think that a pair of kids from the coal district will pose a threat to us at all? They're even bigger idiots than I thought.

"Here's the deal, though," Cato says forcefully. "I don't particularly care who kills the boy. He's worthless. But the girl could be a problem." I grit my teeth in frustration. "And you're not gonna like this, but Clove and I have dibs on killing her."

For a second, I don't react, but then I'm furious.

It's not that I really give a damn about killing the girl. She's just another tribute from Twelve, right? Nothing special. It's the fact that Clove and Cato think that they can come here and, as part of an equal alliance, just take control. It doesn't work like that – we don't have to follow them! I can tell, already, that if I'm not killed in the arena, these two may just drive me insane enough for me to simply drop dead.

"Maybe we want to kill her, too. You don't have any right to claim her like that. You're not the only one who hates her!"

Shell has voiced my thoughts almost exactly – most of them, that is. I don't understand why they think the fiery costumes will make so much of a difference in the arena… the girl doesn't look particularly dangerous, and she's tiny to boot. What's the point? But she's right – no one has a right to the kill.

Clove arches her eyebrows, a small smirk gracing her features. "Sorry, that's not how it works. We have dibs on the fire girl, and that's that."

I glare at them. I've taken an immediate disliking to Cato and Clove, and the urge to unsettle them washes over me. "Oh? And how do you know one of us didn't call her before you did?" I ask challengingly.

Infuriatingly, Cato looks amused. "Well, seeing as you can't officially call dibs until the whole alliance is together, and Clove and I have just done that, and you haven't… well, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet."

"Ingenious," I mutter, so quietly that only Glimmer can hear me. She flashes me a scowl before returning her attention to Clove and Cato.

It appears that Clove has done some quick thinking – good thing, because I'm ready to kill her here and now. "Yes," she stammers quickly, "Cato and I have dibs on actually killing her. But no one said we can't have some fun with her before that." Her lips turn up into a feral smile. "We can give the audience a really good show… scare her, of course, and make sure she doesn't die quickly."

My eyes widen, because at these words, a certain girl comes to mind… and then Glimmer seems to read my mind and mention the same tribute.

The girl's name was Violet – a tiny girl from Eight. She made it farther into the Games than those from Eight usually do, but she got cornered by a girl from my own district. And this girl, Opal, killed Violet absolutely viciously… over the course of six hours.

"Remember that girl from Eight four years ago?" Glimmer is saying now. "The year that boy from Four won?"

Clove lets out a laugh for the first time. "Exactly."

We all take a moment to remember, and when everyone comes back to the present, it's as if a new understanding has been formed. "So, Clove and I will do the actually killing, but you can help with everything else," Cato says, grinning. "There'll be plenty to do – trust me."

I sigh, somewhat unnerved. It's apparent that Clove and Cato intend to make themselves the leaders of the alliance – the tributes from Two usually act this way. Anyone who opposes them usually doesn't last long in the arena.

"That's settled, then," Clove says. While she speaks, another pair of tributes walks in – I look at them distastefully.

Cato gestures for everyone to listen. "Here's the plan for today. We'll split up before lunch, then we regroup. Everyone, stick with your district partner. Keep an eye on the other tributes, _especially Twelve_, got that? Good. See you all in a couple of hours."

I smirk, take Glimmer's arm, and the two of us walk away as the other tributes begin to arrive. The training director walks in and begins to talk us through the stations, but I pay her no attention. "What a load of shit," I whisper to Glimmer.

To my surprise, she snickers. "For the most part, yes. But I don't mind the idea of giving Katniss what she deserves."

I suppose Katniss is the girl from Twelve. "You really care about what she wore yesterday that much? You think it's going to make any difference in the arena? Is that a girl thing?" I snort.

Glimmer glares at me and turns back to the trainer, Atala. She pointedly ignores me until we're dismissed, and I laugh to myself.

This should be interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it... this is the first time I've had to rewrite a scene that I've already written. I really wanted to make Marvel's impression of Katniss and Peeta different from Clove's, because I'm trying to make him into more of a careless character, one who might underestimate his opponents but the same time not make a big deal out of something like a costume. This chapter also has his first impressions of his new allies... which was fun, and it gets more in depth in the next chapter. Originally it was going to be in this one, but then I realized that I still had the Opening Ceremonies to write and it was already getting too long... so that's next week.<strong>

**Guys, I'm running out of ways to ask for reviews. The last chapter only got two, which is beyond depressing. I post this stuff so that I can get feedback, but I'm not getting much as of now. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I know more people are reading this than that, though, so I'll say this: I really appreciate everyone who has added this story to Favorites or Alert, but it would be even better if you'd take the time to review, too. Getting emails from this site make my day, especially review alerts!**

**~What the Quell**


	5. It's Okay to Judge

Chapter Five: It's Okay to Judge

Dad always used to say that I had a talent for figuring people out. For looking past every façade they tried to use to hide what they were really like, and seeing straight through to who they really were. I never really saw the point of that, but I guess this is a place where it really comes in handy.

I can tell that Glimmer truly hates me by the time we break for lunch. We spend a lot of time throwing axes, since I'm trying to be a gentleman after pissing her off while Atala was talking – and I won't make that mistake again, believe me. She doesn't speak to me at all, just throwing her axe at a target that I know she's picturing as my face.

I don't see much of any of our other allies before lunch. Cato and Clove, I notice at one point, seem to enjoy terrorizing some of the smaller tributes. Glimmer and I freeze as we hear Clove call out to one of the smallest ones, who's climbing the rock wall – everyone else does, too. Clove, it seems, can tell that everyone in the room is watching her, because she casts a smirk towards her audience before flinging the knife she's holding directly at the girl. Miraculously, it lands inches away from the girl's hand, and I barely keep my jaw from dropping. Even though I despise Clove, I can't help being impressed.

I don't see Shell and Zen talking at all this morning, just focusing on their training with a ferocity that is slightly intimidating. Clearly, this won't be the most fun few weeks with them around.

Lunch doesn't come fast enough – I'm sick of Glimmer, honestly, and while I don't like any of the others any more – less if anything – a change of scenery is always good. The six of us meet up immediately and head for a large table in the middle of the room.

Clove starts off the conversation without preamble. "So, what do you think of everybody, now that we've gotten to see them up close?" she says, facing Glimmer.

Glimmer snorts and rolls her eyes. "They're all pathetic."

The rest of us laugh, drawing the attention of the rest of the tributes. The Career Tributes, as this alliance is commonly referred to as, has always maintained a reputation among other districts besides our own for being vicious, unmerciful, motivated, and above all, terrifying. There's a reason that the victor of the Games is almost always a tribute from One, Two, or Four. We're able to gain sponsors as quickly as we make enemies, but the difference is that the enemies end up dead in a week. Showing off is a common strategy among Careers, and this year, as Clove demonstrated earlier, is clearly no exception.

Might as well play that up.

"Nice stunt with the knife earlier, by the way," I say to Clove, albeit somewhat grudgingly.

I roll my eyes as Shell complains about what a pity it is that we can't actually kill our opponents yet, but then Zen speaks up loudly. "Yeah, it's a shame. Then again, they'll all be gone within a day or two. There may not even be a point in us forming an alliance at all!"

I grit my teeth. Genius, this one is.

Despite the fact that all the tributes are going to be trying to kill each other in the arena, there's a standard form of etiquette that is demanded by a strong alliance. One of the simplest unspoken rules is that _you don't question the alliance_. Doing so implies that you think you'd be better off without allies, which is basically an invitation for death.

I shoot Zen an annoyed look, but he doesn't notice – he seems to be having a staring contest with Cato, and the expressions on their faces make me flinch.

"So, you know what we still have to do?" Shell says, looking as if she's struggling not to strangle Zen. "We don't have a strategy for the bloodbath yet."

I glance up at her, interested. "You're right. We'll have to figure that out later, though – wouldn't be the best idea with all of _them_ around."

Glimmer smirks. "I don't think we need a strategy. From the looks of them, they'll trip over their own feet and land on a knife. We'll be fine."

I almost choke on the piece of fruit I've just swallowed. "Brilliant," I laugh. Then I remember the necessity of keeping up the whole stupid act. "I have the perfect idea. We'll all just stand there and start dancing – they'll be so shocked they'll drop dead on the spot."

I've intended that as more of a poorly thought out joke than as a serious suggestion, but the looks the others throw me hint that I stop talking. "I'm kidding," I mumble, holding my hands up in front of me defensively. "Chill."

I swear I see Glimmer smile, but it's gone before I can be sure.

I decide that it would be unwise for me to speak for the rest of lunch, so I decide to just sit quietly and do what my dad claimed I did best – judge.

I start with Clove, because she seems to be the most simpleminded out of all of us. She's one of the youngest, too, and it kind of shows in the way she acts and speaks. She's a bit childish – throughout the day she's been speaking animatedly, and I've been able to hear her laugh all the way across the room this morning. She's wearing a headband, for God's sake. And I don't think she's seen as much as the rest of us as far as tragedy goes. Her eyes still have that sparkle that suggests that she's had a relatively easy life, despite the pressure she must have been under. I know that both her parents are victors, though not terribly well known… they're not like Finnick Odair or Enobaria Klu. Still, there's a determination in Clove, plain for us all to see, that shows how dedicated she is to winning the Games, and that she's not about to let any of us stop her. I decide on the spot that Clove is going to be a big threat in these Games – because something about her suggests a deadly temper, and I've seen her throw knives. The hilt of the blade still stuck in the rock wall tells me I wouldn't want to be within a mile of an angry, armed Clove.

For only having met her today, that's as much as I can decipher about Clove while still maintaining accuracy. So… the easiest analysis is complete.

I move on to Cato – might as well get District Two completely out of the way. Well, the most obvious thing should come first, I suppose. He's a giant. I don't know how it's even possible for anyone still young enough to be eligible for the Games to be this size – he's the same age as me, for crying out loud! Putting that aside, there's a quality about Cato that makes me nervous. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the way he looked at Zen earlier, so furiously, suggests mental instability. Which almost invariably will be paired with a temper. Cato's eyes lack the childishness that I can see in Clove's, which makes me certain that he's seen more of the country's horrors than his district partner. Did he live in one of the poor areas of District Two? Two is the richest district in the country – do they even _have_ poor areas? Maybe some childhood tragedy… I haven't heard of either of Cato's parents being victors. Maybe they're not even alive. That would certainly explain the lack of brightness in him. However, like Clove, he clearly has a fire burning behind those furious eyes, and will stop at nothing to win. This would be where any madness would come into play. One thing I do note, however, is that he appears to have a bit of a soft spot for Clove. I make a mental note of that, planning to observe them more carefully in the future.

Well. District Two has given us quite a pair to contend with this year. Clearly, both of these tributes are going to be dominant in the arena – they've already demonstrated that they plan to lead the alliance, and they seem to get along better than I do with Glimmer, as well as Shell and Zen. After just half a day, I can barely stand either of them… these two could quite literally be the death of me in the arena without even picking up a weapon.

I file thoughts about these two away and consider Shell. What I know about her. Which, unfortunately, is virtually nothing. She's young, even younger than Clove; that much is obvious. But she holds her head high and regards the rest of us almost disdainfully. There's something behind that smile that makes me think she's up to something. Maybe that's a stupid notion – isn't every tribute up to something at this stage in the Games? But I can't shake off that intuition, so I give into it and pay her more attention. She and Zen are almost constantly exchanging glances and giving each other almost imperceptible nods. My eyes narrow suspiciously. What's this about? Then I notice something else – she keeps glancing at _Clove and Cato_, paying Glimmer and me no more attention than if we were thin air. Whatever's going on with them, it involves the tributes from Two, not us.

This makes me consider Shell more carefully. Is she clever enough to have come up with a scheme to overtake Clove and Cato on her own? Or did her mentor have something to do with this? And how is Zen involved? Whatever the answer is, it shows that there's more to Shell than I had originally thought. I sigh – none of this can be simple, can it? Now, in addition to watching for any sign of something going on between Clove and Cato, I'll have to watch Shell watch them as well… just in case I'm the next target.

I shake my head. It's not as if she can do anything yet. It's against the rules to engage in any physical combat with another tribute before we enter the arena. Which means… Shell must be trying to unhinge them _mentally_.

This, of course, opens up a whole new realm of possibilities that's too broad to even consider. I'll discuss this with Jasper later – he'll be able to provide some insight, no doubt. But I've got another two tributes to figure out first.

_Zen._ I sigh quietly. This one has already proved that he's a bigger idiot than… well, a bigger idiot than I'm pretending to be. He's a giant, like Cato – it's clear that he's more of a _brawn over brains_ type of tribute than Shell is. So what part does he play in Shell's scheme? He's as determined to win as the rest of us – like Shell, he's gives off the aura of thinking he's superior to the rest of us. But his expression is flat when he's not glaring – there's no emotion whatsoever. And that means that nothing's going to stop him from killing us all in an instant… which makes me think that it would just be smart to kill him at the bloodbath and get it over with. There's no point in having someone around who's going to risk the entire alliance on day one. Though I'm not a fan of any of these people, we still need each other until the playing field is narrowed down. So I'll keep an eye on him for the duration of training as well, up until his death – which I _will_, I vow to myself, be around to see. I do note, though, that he seems to be somewhat condescending towards Shell – like when he tried to introduce her this morning. It's almost as if they're siblings. That's clearly not true, though – the media would have had a field day with that, I would've known. But it's something to remember.

Oddly enough, I don't consider either Shell or Zen to be much of a threat. They're plotting against Clove and Cato, not me, so I'm not too worried. I saw this morning that their weaponry skills… aren't what I'd call exceptional. Something tells me that they'll be dead after a few days in the arena regardless.

There's only one tribute left for me to try to decipher, and I have a feeling that she's going to be the hardest out of everyone.

Glimmer.

If I thought Zen was condescending, he's nothing compared to this one. Maybe condescending isn't even the right word – more like _superior_. I recall the disgusted way she regarded me back on the train and this morning, even. The way she flounced out of the room the first chance she got. She already seems to have a vendetta against me, though not for a good reason as far as I can see. I know she's younger than me and probably hasn't been training as long. But other than that… I don't know her at all.

For a moment, I wish Di were here. She'd be so much better at this, she'd be able to figure out what Glimmer's like in an instant, with the girl talk she's so skilled at, according to Em. _Because she's a _girl_, you idiot_, I scoff at myself. Then I remember that if Di were here Glimmer wouldn't be anyway, and Di is the absolute _last_ person I want with me in the arena. I'd kill myself before seeing her come here.

Anyway. Glimmer. Well… I suppose she's not stupid. And she was brave enough to speak first after Cato and Clove this morning, to break the awkward silence that had come over us. After spending so much time with her during training, it's obvious that she's more skilled with axes than anyone else I know. That's definitely worth remembering, and worth giving up some sleep for in the arena. Don't want to be murdered when I'm not even awake to defend myself.

Oh – and she's easily annoyed. I found that out on the very first day… and that's something I can definitely use to my advantage in the arena. Push her over the edge, maybe she'll lose her temper…

Regardless, it seems as though Glimmer's not as enigmatic as I thought. There's something else, though, something that suggests that she'll be able to see through any BS the rest of us might put forth. Which means that I'll have to be incredibly careful if I want to pull off acting like an idiot for ten minutes, let along weeks.

I take a deep breath. I think… I think that trying to guess whatever I could about my allies has been more exhausting than everything I've been through so far since leaving District One.

Clove is now whispering urgently in Cato's ear, and his eyes narrow as he hisses something in reply. She nods and raises her voice just as we're dismissed to go back to training.

"Girls, come with me," she says, motioning towards Shell and Glimmer. "We're going to separate from them for a bit."

Cato nods and meets my eyes. "Marvel, Zen, with me."

I almost groan. Great. This should be a fun couple of hours… I stand up, bracing myself for whatever these two might throw at me, and prepare to go through hell.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I stayed up super late last night writing this chapter so I'd be able to post it today... and I actually really like how it turned out. I've been looking forward to writing a more in depth analysis of all the Careers from Marvel's POV, and it was pretty fun. So I hope you all like this chapter too. :)<strong>

**There were a few more reviews for the last chapter than before, but I still have to ask for feedback. Come on, guys, when I was writing Winning is Everything it got tons of reviews for every chapter... what happened? Please, please review.**

**Next chapter: We'll take a look at what happens when Cato, Marvel, and Zen work together during training... and Jasper and Star inform Glimmer and Marvel of what Shell and Zen may be up to. :)**

**Review, please!**

**~What the Quell**


	6. Call it Bonding

Chapter Six: Call it Bonding

"I'm thinking we should head over to the spears first," Cato says. I nod – why complain about going to train with my best weapon? Zen remains silent, and the three of us mutely walk over to the spear area.

There are two other tributes there already – I'm not sure what district they're from, but they're so miniscule that I doubt either of them will make it past the first day of fighting once the Games begin.

Cato saunters over to the two tributes, glowering. "It's funny. We're here… and yet you're also here. See the problem?"

The small girl trembles. "We… we were just leaving." She casts a frightened glance at her district partner, and they scamper off.

I snicker, and even Zen manages a small smirk. "_Nice_."

Cato nods in acknowledgement. "The best way to gain an advantage before the Games is to scare the hell out of them, right?"

I nod appreciatively. "Very true."

We each grab a spear without saying anything more and spread out in front of the targets. By some sort of silent agreement, we all throw the weapons at once – my spear whistles as it sails past my ear.

I'd guess we're standing about fifteen, maybe twenty yards from our dummies. Cato has managed to skewer his right through the heart, which, though I hate to admit it, is impressive. I've impaled my dummy through its upper thigh – it would be a fatal wound – and Zen has hit his on the shoulder.

_Not too bad,_ I think. A kill is a kill, and with a wound where my spear has landed… the target would be dead in a matter of minutes, if that long.

We spend the next hour or so continuing to throw the spears. It does get dull after a while, but part of me likes the repetition. It's familiar, at least, something I know how to do mindlessly.

The real fun happens when other tributes show up at this station. When another small tribute starts heading towards us, trying to be discreet, I feel a small smirk cross my face.

"Mind if I take this one?" I ask Cato jokingly.

He nods, acting surprisingly good-natured. "Be my guest."

I grin. "Thanks."

The tribute doesn't say a word when he makes it to us, just picks up a spear and stands about ten yards from his target. I watch as he heaves the spear forward, and scoff to myself as the spear falls short.

I grasp my own spear tightly and fling it towards the small child's target, grinning as it pierces the dummy's stomach. The kid whirls around, shocked to see that I'm standing just a few feet behind him.

"Scram," I advise him. "Unless you'd like to be next? Your choice – choose wisely."

Cato is roaring with laughter when I return. "Pretty good," he crows. "Though it doesn't beat what Clove did earlier."

"Nothing will," I sigh. "None of us can live up to that. Hate to say it, but _damn_, that girl is handy with a knife."

"She sure is," Cato agrees. I catch a glimpse of a silly smile crossing his face, but then it's gone, so quickly I wonder if I imagined it. I roll my eyes – is there a worse place in the world to fall for someone?

Idiot.

When another tiny tribute shows up, a girl this time, Cato and I both look at Zen questioningly. He nods, and I lean back on the wall to observe.

Zen doesn't move.

I raise an eyebrow. What's he doing? The girl has chosen a spear and is walking quickly towards the nearest target. And still, Zen does nothing.

_What the hell?_ I'm about to ask Zen what his problem is when the girl falters just as she's about to throws her spear – her eyes dart to Zen and then quickly back away. That's when I notice the flat expression in his eyes as he glowers at her. It seems that this is enough to scare her out of her wits, because she's lost focus, and when she throws the spear, it barely grazes the dummy's arm.

The girl looks over at Zen again – he hasn't moved, just continues to gaze at her furiously. Apparently frightened, she glances at her fallen spear and scurries away, unable to take the pressure.

I snort with laughter. "Nice one."

Zen actually laughs. "That was fun. This is way better than this morning, actually. I was getting so sick of Shell."

"There's no way she's as bad as Glimmer," I mutter.

We look at Cato, expecting him to insert some scathing comment about Clove as well, but he just shrugs. "I'm going to go throw around the spears some more," he says in an attempt to clear up the awkward silence that has descended upon us. I nod, and he walks a short distance away.

"Trust me, Shell's a nightmare," Zen says to me once Cato's distracted. "The girl doesn't know her limits. She won't ever admit to being wrong, she doesn't think she ever needs help… it's infuriating."

I frown. "Why do you care?"

Zen sighs. "Well… she's actually my cousin."

I raise my eyebrows, surprised. "And you volunteered anyway?"

He clenches his teeth. "I didn't know she was going to volunteer this year, and by the time I did, it was too late. Things are different in District Four. The volunteers are decided before the reaping, but the girls don't find out who the volunteer for the boys will be, and the same thing is true the other way around. I wouldn't have tried out for the spot otherwise."

I nod slowly. "That sucks, man."

He shrugs. "Could be worse. I don't really know her all that well, but she's still family. And hey, at least I'm not Cato, right?"

I snort. "You've noticed that too?"

Zen laughs quietly. "I think we all have, 'cept Clove, obviously. He won't do anything, though. It's the Hunger Games – what does he expect to happen? They're both going to end up dead anyway."

"Very true," I mutter. "I'm so glad not to be him."

"Agreed," he scowls. "What a dumbass."

I snicker. "Most definitely."

We throw our spears in silence for another half hour. After giving a dummy three consecutive head wounds, I'm ready to move on. "There's not very long left in training. Maybe we should head somewhere else."

Cato shrugs. "Sure. I'm thinking machetes."

Zen and I agree, and we spend the next hour sparring with the trainers at the machete station. Cato is able to easily defeat his opponent, and while I have to put in a bit more effort, I'm eventually able to knock the trainer I'm fighting off his feet.

Zen seems to be intentionally irritating Cato, though. After that comment at lunch earlier, Cato still seems slightly annoyed – not that I can completely blame him. It's just the small jabs Zen makes, ranging from insulting District Two to teasing him about Clove, that seem to bug Cato to no end. I don't know why Zen won't give it a rest – he continues to provoke Cato until Cato finally tells him to _shut the hell up_ and fixes him with a menacing glare. After that, we're all quiet.

Before we finish with the machetes, it's announced that training is over for the day. Clove is there immediately, grabbing Cato's arm, and they disappear right away. I sigh and head over to where Glimmer and Shell are waiting.

"Ready to go?" I ask Glimmer, and she nods. Not speaking, we walk to the elevator and return to District One's floor, ready to discuss training with Star and Jasper.

* * *

><p><strong>Right, so this is a bit of a filler chapter, but fun to write anyway. It didn't turn out quite how I thought, so Marvel will find out District Four's plan in the next chapter... when that will be posted will depend on you guys.<strong>

**I know I didn't post a chapter last week, and I had a few different reasons. For one thing, I was really busy. I had to go work on a school project, which took the better part of the day, and I didn't have time to get anything written. But honestly, I didn't feel guilty. Because for the previous chapter, I'd only gotten one review by the time Sunday came around again. So... my motivation was gone. And it sucked, because I worked really hard on the last chapter and got almost no feedback.**

**If there aren't more reviews for this chapter, it's going to be two weeks before the next update instead of one. This isn't an empty threat. I could use the extra time to work on some original stories. So if you want to read the next chapter... please review. You don't even have to have an account, and it'll only take a few second. Review. Please.**

**~What the Quell**


	7. Yeah, I'm the Stupid One

Chapter Seven: Yeah, I'm the Stupid One

"Finnick Odair did _what_?"

Glimmer and I burst into laughter as Star smiles smugly. "Enobaria took testing her tributes a little too far this time," she confirms. "And Yoh was just along for the ride."

I double over in my chair, sure that my face is red by now. "But that's –"

"I know," Jasper smirks.

Evidently, I was right about Shell and Zen – they _were_ trying to mentally unhinge Cato and Clove. I just didn't realize that the means by which they were attempting this were so… well, ridiculous.

Star laughs. "I heard them talking about it today, while we were all meeting with potential sponsors. You know how Enobaria and Finnick are – always trying to make fools of each other. Well, Enobaria seems very confident in Cato and Clove, because she made a bit of a stupid bet with Finnick the other day."

I grin. "And they actually followed through with it…"

She nods, smirking. "Shell and Zen agreed to pretend to be cousins, as well as the niece and nephew of Finnick Odair. You know how much influence Finnick has in this country," she says, suddenly scowling. "How many sponsors he's always able to gain for his tributes. Most tributes would almost die of horror if they thought he was related to another tribute, because he'd do everything he could to get them out of the arena alive... even more than he does as just a mentor. And Enobaria seemed to think Cato and Clove are smarter than that."

Glimmer shakes her head. "Not even close, actually."

Jasper raises his eyebrows. "What happened in training?"

"I only heard the part about them being cousins," I volunteer. "Zen didn't mention that he's supposedly Finnick's nephew. And Cato didn't hear any of that – he was off throwing spears that whole time."

"Clove must have told him, then," Glimmer says. "Shell told us everything when we were at edible plants and knots. Seemed pretty upset by it, too."

I frown. "There was no reason to be."

Glimmer shrugs. "People from Four are crazy. There's really no point in questioning it… you never know what might be going on in her head."

"How did Clove react when she heard?" Jasper asks, leaning forward.

"Not thrilled, obviously," Glimmer says. "She didn't really say much after that, but she was really fidgety for the rest of training. As soon as we were all dismissed she ran over to Cato, and they disappeared."

"She must have told them everything on their way up," I say. Then I chuckle. "They're going to be so dead."

Star smiles viciously. "Enobaria… will definitely not be happy if her tributes are freaked over this."

"They will be," Glimmer says confidently. "It's not hard to tell. Clove looked really uncomfortable towards the end of training, I could tell she was dying to get out of there and run to Enobaria and tell her everything."

"This has actually given us an advantage as a district," Jasper says. "If Enobaria really lets them have it, Cato and Clove will have to be extremely careful in the next week, and they'll probably question every move they make. That can be a safe tactic for some tributes, but not for someone in the Career alliance."

"And District Four won't be at their best either," Star adds. "They might be right now, but Enobaria will undoubtedly do something to get back at them."

I laugh and shake my head slowly. "I gotta say, it'd be a pain to have her as a mentor."

Jasper frowns. "Maybe, but I have a lot of respect for Enobaria. She may be a bit… well, bitchy at times, but she's fierce and strong willed and has a lot of talent for getting her tributes out of the arena alive."

"How encouraging," Glimmer says sarcastically.

Star laughs. "No worries, she won't succeed this year – that much I can say confidently. Cato and Clove have probably just had a major setback, and I think both of you will be just fine once the Games start."

That's the closest to a compliment I've ever received from Star, and it brings a smirk to my face. "One of us will be, anyway," I can't resist saying.

Jasper rolls his eyes and Star scowls. "Oh, grow up," she mutters, but my grin just widens as I laugh.

"Why don't we eat?" Jasper cuts in wisely. As he speaks, I notice Lumina enter the room with Glimmer's stylist.

"Great," I say enthusiastically. I wave to greet Lumina, and she smiles briefly back at me. I have to say she's growing on me – the initial impression of a cold-hearted stylist who couldn't care less about helping me has faded.

We all sit around the table, and an Avox comes to serve us. A short blonde girl walks around the table and sets a cup of cheesy noodles in front of each of us and a large loaf of bread in the center of the table, and I feel my stomach rumble.

While we're eating, it's as if the idea of the Games all but disappears. No one is fighting or making cutting remarks – through I do have to throw in a few stupid ones to keep up the appearance of being a moron. Everyone is laughing, just talking about things like other tributes or life at home. Even Star isn't as bad as usual – she and Jasper spend some time telling us about past tributes they've mentored, both the alive and the dead.

When it briefly crosses my mind that this would be more fun with Diamond here, I want to slap myself. _No it wouldn't, dumbass_, I tell myself. _Because then she'd end up dead_. I know I would never kill her, but… someone else would. I'd do everything I could to bring the two of us to the final two and then kill myself, but chances are someone else would reach her… and I'd rather not think about what would happen then.

And there lies the beauty of volunteers.

"Right, I'm tired," Glimmer announces after a couple of hours. "I'm going to bed."

"Me too," I yawn, standing up. All the food – the Avox kept bringing more, it never seemed to stop – has made me tired, and I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. Better go to sleep now… I'll have to get up early in the morning for training.

"Okay," Jasper says, taking a sip of the wine the Avox brought out after the last course. Glimmer and I both refused the drink, knowing we'd pay for it tomorrow, but the adults don't have anything to worry about, it seems.

Glimmer and I turn and leave the dining hall together. We walk in silence until we get to her room, where we both pause.

"'Night," I say to her, barely stifling a yawn. She nods at me sleepily and disappears through the door.

I trudge on until I reach my own room, where I stumble through the door and collapse on the bed, exhausted. It's been a long day, longer than any other I can remember. Except maybe the day my parents died.

I yawn again and take off my shoes, throwing them to the opposite side of the room. They hit the wall with a _clunk_ and drop to the floor.

Despite my exhaustion, my brain feels the need to run through today's events before allowing me to fall asleep. Training with Glimmer, and then with Cato and Zen. Finding out about the bet between Districts Two and Four. Laughing at other people's stupidity. Dinner without anyone's head getting bitten off.

I have to smile. I'll have a lot to tell Em and Di when I get back home.

Finally, I'm able to close my eyes without any unwanted thoughts bothering me. It takes me about eight seconds to finally fall asleep, knowing that I'll have to get up early for training.

The last thought I have before losing consciousness is one that shows me their faces, the ones I care about the most, the ones I've got to get back to.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry I haven't updated in a few weeks. I've had a lot going on - you'd think teachers would lay off a bit in the week before spring break, but they've been completely burying us in work... I swear, this research paper is making me hate writing. -_-<strong>

**Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter, especially Litprof, who really helped me to change my perspective. Guys, updates are going to start coming less frequently. I have a ton going on, school, swimming, getting ready to move... it's quite a bit to handle, and I haven't found a lot of time to write recently. Besides that, I'm starting to move away from fanfiction a little bit... I've been working on some original stories now that I finally have ideas. I can promise that this story will be finished, but updates will probably be every other week or so from now on. It just depends on how much free time I have.**

**Okay, I think that's all. Review if you can? :) I'll try to update soon - the next chapter features the second day of training. Marvel ends up working with Clove, and if you read Winning is Everything, you know what happens there. xD I'm really excited to write that. Hope to hear from you, but either way, I'll post Chapter 8 as soon as I can. :)**

**~What the Quell**


	8. Why I Hate District Two

Chapter Eight: Why I Hate District Two

I'm woken by the sound of Jasper knocking on my door. "Marvel?" he says loudly. "Open the door, would you? There's something we need to discuss before you leave for training."

I groan and force myself out of bed, trudging to the door and weakly yanking it open. "What?" I ask sleepily. Jasper enters the room without invitation.

"I should've mentioned this yesterday," he berates himself, seeming not to notice me. "But I didn't, so I'm here now."

"What?" I repeat impatiently. God knows I don't like being kept in the dark, and this is infuriating, seeing as clearly this is important and the more I know, the better.

"Your strategy is to appear arrogant and stupid, isn't it?" Jasper asks. I nod and roll my eyes at my mentor's condescending tone.

"Obviously."

Jasper frowns. "I think you're doing well with the arrogance factor, but from what I saw yesterday, I'm not sure that you're coming off as… moronic as you should be. So… you should try to work on that today, okay?"

"Sure, sure," I say tiredly.

"I mean it. You want to get as much as you can out of this, Marvel. Push it to the very limit."

"I will," I say, mostly to shut him up. Then I happen to notice the clock a few feet away from me.

"What the hell, Jasper? Six in the morning? What am I supposed to do for the next four hours?"

He shrugs, clearly not bothered by the ridiculous hour. "It doesn't matter. Try to go back to sleep, if you can."

I glare at him, knowing myself well enough to be certain that I won't be able to fall asleep after being awake. Apparently my expression speaks well enough for me, because Jasper corrects himself almost immediately.

"Or, if you can't manage that, you could go on the roof if you'd like."

The roof? "Am I allowed up there?"

"Of course," Jasper says. Then he shakes his head.

"You're already failing, Marvel. First rule to being an idiot: act first and ask questions later. Forget about any potential consequences."

I nod. "Got it."

The roof is actually quite nice. It's a good place to just escape the Games for a few hours before training, which I appreciate. I even enjoy the short ride in the elevator from District One's level of the training center – I've been craving silence ever since I arrived in the Capitol.

I step off the elevator just a few seconds later, entering the wide expanse that is the roof. The city looks amazing from up here. There are no people in the streets to detract from it – it's far too early for any self-respecting Capitol citizen to be out of bed, of course. The sun is just beginning to rise, and the light falls upon the city's buildings almost gracefully. I find myself wishing that Diamond could see this, because I know she has an eye for beauty and could most likely sit here and watch the sunrise for hours. And suddenly I'm hoping that even now, she's seeing the same thing, this sunrise, from District One.

I've forced myself to try to avoid thoughts of Em and Di for the past couple of days, fearing that the distraction will make me miss something important. But I can afford a little break from that effort now, while there's nothing I have to be focusing on for at least another hour.

I think of Em's innocent laugh and hope Di has heard it since I've left, despite the fact that I know how unlikely that is. My usually hyper sister will surely have been very subdued over the past few days, but I try not to think about that.

I think about the way Diamond's eyes sparkle and hope that they haven't dulled since the reaping. I don't want her to be scared for me. I only volunteered so she could be happy.

I realize I've ceased to care what happens to me as long as Emerald and Diamond are okay, and this isn't anything new. For years, all I've wanted is for them to be okay.

The next thing I realize is that this makes me sound like a girl, even to myself, and I vow never to repeat it – whether it's in my thoughts or to Em and Di when I get home. They'd never let me hear the end of it.

I sigh when I notice the time, that it's after nine already. I stand up, stretching my stiff legs, feeling the effects of sitting still for so long. Once I feel more awake I turn around to leave, and I've almost made it to the elevator when I freeze.

Cato's asleep, or so it seems. His eyes are closed, at least, and he isn't moving. As if I needed more confirmation, his lips slowly part and one word leaves them. "_Clove_."

I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I almost feel sorry for the tribute from District Two, but mostly I'm just satisfied to see my suspicion proven correct. I'll have to let Jasper know when I get back downstairs.

I don't know how long Cato's been up here – not as long as me, because I didn't see him when I came up here – but I'd rather not be here when he wakes up, so I step around him and head back to District One's floor.

Glimmer and Star are sitting in the dining room, and they both nod when they notice me. I nod back, grabbing a roll of bread and joining them.

Jasper enters the room shortly after. "Half an hour," he reminds us, and I stand up to go get dressed properly, in whatever outfit Lumina has left me.

When it's time to go downstairs, Glimmer and I step onto the elevator and as the doors close I remember that I forgot to tell Jasper about Cato. Dammit. I suppose there'll be time for it later, but I think I know what he'd say to do anyway.

"_We'll discuss this later, but right now you have to remember what I told you earlier." _It's almost as if he's standing next to me, I can hear the words so clearly.

The doors open, and I see that Cato and Clove have already arrived. Shockingly, Clove smiles at us – well, I suspect that the smile was directed more at Glimmer than at me. This is more or less confirmed when she scowls at me seconds later without even seeming to notice.

"We have a lot to get done today," Clove says without an introduction.

"Such as?" Glimmer asks curiously.

Keeping in mind what Jasper said, I force my expression into one of oblivion and comment dryly, "There's only so much to do here."

Clove ignores me and repeats, "There's a lot to get done. We're going to break into groups of two. Glimmer, you'll be with me." Glimmer nods in understanding. "Shell will be with Cato—"

"Excuse me?" I hear a new voice. Glancing over my shoulder, I identify Shell and Zen.

"About time," Clove says quietly. I get the impression that the tributes from Four got her in a bit of trouble yesterday, and she doesn't seem too happy with them. Then she goes back to her previous volume and continues speaking. "We're going to break into groups of two. Glimmer is with me, Shell with Cato, and Marvel with Zen." I'm not sure what to think of that – I suppose Zen isn't too bad, and he did help unbalance Cato and Clove, so this could be worse.

"After lunch, we'll switch to Marvel and me, Cato and Zen, and Glimmer and Shell."

Well. Um. Shit.

I was really hoping to avoid spending any time with Clove, because it's obvious already that she'd like nothing more than to slit my throat here and now. That makes me a bit apprehensive about actually training with her – she hasn't seen much of my idiot act yet, and with the instructions Jasper gave me, I can't help but worry that she'll find me too irritating to keep in the alliance for long.

"Okay," Glimmer says, speaking for the rest of us. "So, what else is there?"

Clove and Cato look at each other fleetingly, and Clove speaks. "We're going to try to get to every station, between the six of us. Go to as many as you can; the best thing would be if we could all get everywhere, but that's unlikely. So, get in as much variety as you can. Don't just stick to weapons, or survival skills, mix it up so we can learn as much as we can today."

I'm about to comment that surely, the all-knowing tributes from Two are aware of everything there is to know already, but Cato takes over from Clove before I can. And after considering it, that might not have been smart anyway.

"Then, tomorrow, we're going to focus on the tributes themselves. We'll watch them and decide on key targets for the bloodbath. That way it'll be easier, if we already know our strategy when the gong sounds."

We all nod, because Clove and Cato – or Yoh and Enobaria, more likely – have clearly thought this through carefully. "One other thing," Clove says slowly. "We need to keep an eye out to see if there's anyone else worth allying with. I'm fairly confident that there isn't, but it's good to be safe." She does have a point there. "Notice if anyone has special skills that could be beneficial to us. Be observant."

We nod again, and then all we can do is wait for the rest of the tributes to show up. Once they do, and our district numbers are pinned to our shirts, I find Zen and we look around, deciding where to go.

"How about archery?" he suggests after a while. I nod, because I can't think of anything better, and there are no tributes over there anyway.

It turns out I'm not awful at this. Once, I manage to skewer a dummy through the stomach, and I smirk. I see Katniss from Twelve glancing over when I do that, so I look at her gloatingly. She frowns and averts her gaze.

Later, we try out the edible plants station, which I really am terrible at. Though of course that's not a good thing, it does help with keeping up the appearance of being stupid without me even having to try.

Zen and I don't speak much, which I don't mind. When we do talk, it's to make fun of Cato, though – something we both seem to enjoy. We're both disgusted by the fact that he seems to be obsessed with his district partner, but see the humor in the fact that Clove hasn't even noticed.

It's a good thing that the morning goes well, because after lunch, training goes downhill very quickly.

Clove insists on visiting the knives first thing, and I oblige her because first of all, I need to seem oblivious to everything and willing to cooperate, and secondly, I don't want to piss her off. I make sure to move with exaggerated slowness, asking the trainers questions that I've known the answers to since I was twelve.

"Wait… I hold it from the blade, right?" I ask Clove, blinking slowly and letting my eyes glaze over in confusion.

She sighs, frustrated. "For the last time, _no_. That's a knife that you usually use when you're fighting in close range, and since you won't be throwing it then, holding it by the blade would only result in you slicing your hand open." She grabs the knife from me, none too gently, turns it around, and hands it back to me. "You hold it from the _handle_, Marvel."

I think this girl knows more about knives than the trainer here – so I've stopped asking him any questions and just choose to ceaselessly bother Clove instead. "Wait, but then when am I supposed to hold it by the blade?"

"When you're going to throw it," she says through gritted teeth. "Then you can get a bit of a spin on it."

I nod slowly, trying to make my eyes light up with comprehension. "_Oh_. I get it."

"Really," Clove mutters under her breath. I pretend not to hear her.

We head over to the spears next, which I'm considerably more excited about, since I'm pretty much hopeless with knives.

I choose a spear and send it straight through a dummy's heart without much effort, and it seems as though this redeems me a bit in Clove's eyes. She feels the need to do better, of course, or at least attempt to – she sends her spear flying, and it lands in her dummy's shoulder – not bad, since it was quite close to its neck. For being so small – which she is compared to Cato and I – she's very skilled with just about every weapon. That idea is reinforced when her second shot skewers the dummy through the abdomen.

After about an hour I get bored, though Clove seems to have no intention of moving on. She destroys target after target, seeming to like working with spears more and more. She's got a look on her face that suggests she's thinking about something entirely different, though, so I doubt she even knows we've been here more than twenty minutes.

Eventually I just kneel down in front of the impressive display of spears and try to figure out what types are most likely to appear in the arena. A few minutes later Clove appears behind me, and I let her call my name a few times before I actually look up and acknowledge her presence.

"We need to move on," she says.

_Get as much as you can out of this._

"Okay," I say, blinking.

_Push it to the very limit._

I turn back to the weapons.

Clove snarls under her breath, and I have to stifle a laugh, picturing what her face must look like. I hear her light footsteps as she stalks away from me, and I doubt she'll return.

I've just stood up, intending to go find Clove, when I feel myself being pulled into a headlock, and I feel an icy blade against my throat. Before I know what's happening, five years of training kick in and I manage to spin away from her, grabbing the nearest spear and forcing her backwards a step, pointing it at her heart.

Vaguely I hear Atala shrieking at us. "Clove! Marvel! Combat between tributes is not allowed!" But that barely registers, because I'm focused on the expression Clove is wearing, and she looks triumphant.

Suddenly I feel like the idiot I'm pretending to be, because while I was caught up in ensuring that I seemed idiotic enough, I failed to consider what would happen if one of my allies saw through the ruse.

And of course it would be Clove.

"I knew it," she hisses, tossing the knife she holds behind her back, not noticing the fact that she narrowly misses injuring the girl from Five, who just manages to dart away and avoid the weapon as Atala shrieks again. "You're not an idiot – no, I changed my mind. You are an idiot. Did you really think you could trick us that easily? What the hell? We're supposed to be your allies!"

_And this is the Hunger Games_, I want to remind her. She should know better than to think that allies have to tell each other everything.

Once she finishes her little rant and lets me get a word in, I decide it's best to just come clean, for the most part. Maybe this can be at least partially salvaged if I do. "I had to do something," I tell her. "I promised I'd come home. I have a little sister and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get back to her." Time to see if Clove has an ounce of sympathy in her.

Evidently not. She's within inches of me now, and though she's much smaller than I am, the fierceness of her gaze makes up for it. She's right up in my face as she hisses, "We all have people we want to get back to. But we're your allies, and when you have allies, there are certain rules you have to follow. And one of the unspoken rules is that you don't pretend to be someone you're not, just to gain an advantage over us."

Instead of retorting, as I'd like to, that gaining an advantage over everyone else is the whole point of the Games, I just test to see if I can still pull off sounding dumb and comment, "I've never seen a list of rules."

She seems to buy it. "That's not the point," she says is such a low voice that I have to strain my ears to hear her. "The point is that if you lie to us again – and I don't care what it's about or how necessary it is – I _promise_ that it will end very badly for you."

"Fine," I say through clenched teeth.

"Good," Clove says smugly. "Training should end in ten minutes, and guess what happens then? You get to go tell all the others about how you've been lying to us, and then they'll help me decide what to do with you."

"You can't kill me," I tell her bluntly. It's true. We're not in the arena yet, and besides, when we are she can't risk turning sponsors against her right away by breaking up the ever-popular Career alliance.

"Oh, no, we won't kill you. Yet." It's clear that Clove does some quick thinking here. "But you'll have the most boring jobs. You'll stand guard more often than the rest of us. You'll have to set up camp while the rest of us divide up supplies. That kind of thing. Believe me, you're going to wish you hadn't tricked us. I guarantee it."

Is that really the best she can come up with? I roll my eyes. "Whatever. I'm still going to win."

We spend a tense few minutes waiting for training to end, and when it does, we walk over to where the rest of the alliance is waiting for us. "Go on," Clove says viciously. "Tell them."

All eyes turn to me as Glimmer asks, "Tell us what?"

I shoot Clove a look that I hope clearly conveys the disgust at her immaturity I'm feeling, and she glares back. I sigh, knowing there's no getting out of this.

"Okay, well… I know I've made it seem like I'm kind of… kind of an idiot." This is ridiculous. I've actually acted almost normally around the rest of them, besides Clove. "But… I'm not… not really. I was… kind of pretending." I continue to pretend, even now, as I stutter. "To… sort of… get an advantage… over all of you."

The way they all look at me screams, _what are you talking about_? Except for Clove, of course, and… Shell. She just laughs hysterically and proceeds to fly into a rant scarier than Clove's.

"Don't worry. We're to going to do anything to you yet. We won't kick you out of the alliance – we need strength in numbers. But just know that you're never going to be safe."

Then Shell seems to lose the ability to speak because she's laughing so hard, and I back away from her warily, dreading what will happen when I have to relate the day's events to Jasper.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay guys. I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in so long. I've been super busy between school and swim and everything else, and I know I say that a lot but sadly it's true. :P The good news for you is that starting around the end of June I'll be posting more frequently, because I'm moving so a) I'll have hours and hours to write on the plane and b) once I get there there won't be much to do right away.<strong>

**Anyway, I forced myself to sit and write this today because this week I've gotten a lot of amazing reviews for this story, so I just thought, I HAVE to update this. It took up... wow, like three hours of my day, so you know I put a lot of effort into this. I'm so happy I'm able to post this and show you that no, this story is NOT being discontinued.**

**For those of you who read Winning is Everything and remember the scene in which Clove discovers Marvel's ruse... I hope you enjoyed seeing his take on what happened. And I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know what you thought. ;) It was really fun to write. Also, some music credit: I listened to "More Than This" by One Direction pretty much the entire time while writing this, and it really helped my muse for the scene where Marvel was on the roof thinking about Diamond (and Em, but mostly Di). It's an amazing song, if you haven't heard it.**

**Also, a question. I said I'd be continuing the 'Vicious' cycle, and the original plan for that was to write the Hunger Games from the perspectives of the Careers: first Clove, then Marvel, then Glimmer, and finally Cato. This is part two, and I was just wondering, would anyone actually be interested in reading the next two parts? I'm debating on whether I should write them or not... so if you have any thoughts on this please leave it in a review or PM me!**

**Sorry for this monster of an A/N, I'll just shut up now and let you all get on with your lives. Thanks a million to everyone who has stuck with this story and asked me to update - that's what encouraged me to spend the day writing. You're the best. (:**

**~What the Quell**


	9. Save It

Chapter 9: Save It

I scowl at the table as Jasper chews me out. "I can't believe Clove found you out. What were you thinking, Marvel? Didn't I warn you about being careful?"

I look at him warily. "I know, Jasper. She just… she just knew, I guess."

"That's not a good enough answer," my mentor seethes. "Your cover is blown. Your allies know they can't trust you, not that they could anyway, but they're going to suspect you even more now when it comes to the Games. And you've got Clove on your bad side now. I know you don't like her, but the girl is lethal."

"Really?" I snap. "Because to me she just seems like a little girl who has a small talent with a knife, who only wants attention but actually has no idea what she's doing."

Jasper actually rises out of his chair in his fury. "Lorcae and Jabez Flair are both victors. Maybe they aren't as famous as some of the other victors from District Two, but they didn't escape the Games by chance. They passed on the knowledge of how to win these Games to Clove, undoubtedly, and she clearly knows what she's doing. She knows how to use weapons, she knows how to get to know her allies, and as you found out today, she knows how to judge her competitors. You underestimated the person who is probably going to be your biggest threat in the arena, and you're going to pay a price for that."

Something during this rant, my eyes have lowered and the shame has caught up to me. I'm not sure how I let Clove discover my act… I just know she did. I failed and it could cost me everything.

I look up again as Jasper's tone softens. "Clove is a smart girl. I know you told me she seems childish, but you can't underestimate her of all people. For all you know she could be putting on an act too. But she knows what she's doing."

I nod. "I know," I say quietly.

He sighs. "We're going to have to see what we can salvage of this. If you play this right… if you play this _just_ right, you might be able to fake your way through it. But they're going to take some serious convincing."

I frown, confused. "What do you mean? You said I blew it."

Jasper nods. "Yeah. And you did. But that doesn't mean they think you're brilliant, necessarily. If you play it right, you might be able to pull it off as though you weren't quite inventing a whole new character to be, but rather acting as an exaggeration of your previous self."

I consider this. "I guess you know what you're doing… so I'll trust you."

"It's not up to me," he insists. "This depends on you alone, kid. I can't do anything to help you here."

Resisting the urge to point out that actually, that's his job, I sit still and think about what he's suggested, and whether my allies will believe it.

Zen and Cato, I'm not worried about. I don't think Cato particularly cares about the personality of his allies so long as we listen to him… which is something we'll worry about later, since he doesn't have much opportunity to order us around in training. Zen, I don't think, has a clue what's going on half the time, so he's not a big deal either. The three of us, while I wouldn't say we get along, seem to have some sort of mutual agreement not to overthink everything. Maybe that's our nature, maybe it's a girl thing to read more into every situation than is actually there. Clove certainly fits that stereotype. But I doubt either of them will have a hard time accepting this new, altered act.

Shell appears to have lost it a long time ago, and I'm not sure what to think about that. In my mind, one of two scenarios plays out. In the first, she's so far gone that she doesn't notice a thing, which would of course work out very much in my favor. In the second, more probable scenario, she sees right through me and kills me the second we get into the arena. I'd have to be very careful in order to fool her.

As for Glimmer, well, I know her. Not as well as, say, Em and Di, of course, but better than my other allies, having spent the most time with her. And this is what I know: she hates me. Absolutely, she hates me. And she'll avoid talking to me as much as she possibly can. Having said that, she also knows me better than the tributes from One and Four do, so that could potentially be problematic. But overall, the vibe I get from Glimmer is that when it comes to me, she just _really doesn't give a damn_. And right now, that's more than I could ask for.

Unfortunately, Clove is another story.

She's not going to buy it for a minute. She'll think it's another ruse, because she's smart, smarter than she lets on. I should have known better than to label her as a child, because obviously she's a lot more prepared for this than I am.

Clove is going to be the biggest obstacle in this new plan. I'll have to be especially wary around her, more so than I should have been already. But maybe… maybe it could work if, when Clove is around, I ease up on the act a bit. Act a little less stupid, play it off as sporadic burst of intelligence, maybe.

It could work.

"Okay," I tell Jasper finally. "I'll give it a shot."

He nods approvingly. "Good. Go to bed, then. Think about it some more. You've got a long day tomorrow, and you can't take private sessions with Gamemakers lightly."

"I know," I say. Because I do. But luckily for me, I've been thinking about what I can do to impress the Gamemakers for years, so I can relax tonight.

"Good. Now go to sleep."

I nod and start heading back to my room, thinking about what we've discussed. I waited until after dinner to confess to Jasper what had happened, both to put off the inevitable fury that he'd unleash upon me and also to make sure there wasn't a chance of Star and Glimmer overhearing.

I'm so lost in those thoughts that I don't even notice she's there until we bump into each other, literally. "Ouch!" she hisses, and my head snaps up.

"Sorry," I whisper to Glimmer. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Neither was I, obviously, or I wouldn't have hit you," she scowls.

"Why are you up?" I ask curiously. She had claimed she was going to bed early after dinner.

She shrugs. "Couldn't sleep."

There's a pause, that sort of awkward pause where it seems as though our brief conversation wasn't quite short enough that it was still acceptable to just nod and walk away at this point, but also not long enough to leave while still being polite.

Not that I'm sure while I'm concerned with manners right now.

"Um, I was just talking with Jasper." I'm not sure why I'm telling her this, either, but what else is there to say. "About our allies, you know."

Glimmer nods. "They're… quite something."

I grin. "That's putting it one way. I was going to say they're all a pain in the ass, but I guess your way works too."

She glares at me. "Oh, grow up," she snaps. "We're going into the arena in just a few days and you're treating it like a joke! Are you capable of taking anything seriously?"

"Nope," I say lightly.

Glimmer sighs in frustration and I'm glad to see that she's clearly not questioning my stupidity yet. Her disdain for me is contributing to this whole situation quite nicely.

"You're awful," she says quietly. "Awful. This really is just a game to you, isn't it? You think it's fun, you're just like them. You have no idea… you have no idea what it's like to actually…" She shakes her head violently and I see the first hints of tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Hey," I say uncertainly. "I didn't mean to…"

"Forget it," she snaps. "You wouldn't give a damn even if I did tell you."

"Sorry," I mumble, knowing it won't make a difference.

Glimmer just frowns at me. "I'm not going to say it's okay. Because it's not. But there's not point in arguing, is there? We're just going to have to kill each other anyway."

I smirk. "That's the spirit."

This actually draws a reluctant giggle from her, and there's another pause. "Well," she says, "I was just going to get a cup of hot chocolate or something before I try to sleep again." Then she tentatively adds, "If you wanted, you could come too."

I consider the offer carefully. Jasper is probably gone by now, back to his own room. There's really no harm, is there? Glimmer and I can't stand each other, for the most part, and one conversation isn't going to change that.

"Sure," I say cautiously. "I'm not really ready to go to sleep anyway."

She nods and we start heading to the dining room, each filling a small much with hot chocolate when we get there. Sitting down across from each other, we quietly sip our drinks.

"What _do_ you think of the others?" she asks eventually.

I make a face. "I don't like them."

She rolls her eyes. "I kind of got that, believe it or not."

I smirk. "They'll be gone in no time. You and me in the final two, Glims. Won't that be interesting?"

"Don't call me that," she snaps, as I knew she would. I snicker.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it."

Apparently getting over it, she says, "I don't really like Zen or Cato, and Shell gives me the creeps. Clove seems okay though."

"Clove?" I splutter, nearly choking on my drink. "You've got to be kidding me."

Glimmer shrugs. "I don't think she's that bad. And it'll be good to have her as an ally, you know. Both her parents are victors, she'll know what she's doing."

"I don't think that makes her all that much more prepared than the rest of us," I argue. "Is it just me, or does she seem kind of naïve to you?"

She looks at me thoughtfully. "I don't think she's naïve, exactly, or childish. I just think she's lived in a very different world than we have."

Surprisingly, this provides more insight for me than Jasper's analysis of her. I nod slowly. "Fair enough."

"You don't want to judge people too harshly before you know their story," she says softly, and I realize there may be a double meaning behind this.

"Are your parents…?" I begin to ask hesitantly.

"They're alive," she says shortly.

"Siblings?"

"None." A short pause. "You?"

"No parents, one sister," I tell her. "And… and someone who's as good as my sister."

Glimmer's lips quirk up in what could be a smile. "I see."

"No, you don't," I chuckle. "No one could see until they've met her."

She shakes her head, amused. "I'll take your word for it. Well," she says, rising from her chair, "I should get to bed. And so should you." I nod and, on cue, stand up as well, and we both start walking back to our rooms.

We reach hers first. "Goodnight," she says quickly.

"Goodnight," I say back, and I turn away and have walked a few steps before she speaks again in a voice that suggests that she's not sure why she's saying anything at all.

"Marvel?"

I look back at her questioningly.

She looks sheepish. "Well… I guess I just wanted to say that, if I don't make it back home… I hope you do. You know, to your sister and… the one who's like your sister." She gives me a half smile, then.

I raise my eyebrows, surprised. "Thanks, Glimmer," I say sincerely. "And… you, too."

She gives a short, sarcastic laugh. "Thanks. It's a very different scenario, though… that would require a long explanation, and…" she gestures to the dark hallway to indicate that we don't have the time right now. "See you tomorrow, Marvel."

"See you," I say quietly, as she steps through and closes her door.

I ponder what she's said until I get back to my own room. A different scenario… she'd mentioned Em and Di. Maybe… maybe she doesn't have anyone to go back to. Except that she said her parents were still alive. I don't know. It's too much to think about right now, too much to think about ever. I'll ask her about it later, if I get a chance, because now I'm curious about her motive for saying what she did.

For now, I just go to sleep. In my last moments awake, though, I'm still thinking about our discussion. Glimmer's an interesting conversationalist, at least. Something changed today. We're not friends. Who would be that stupid, just days before the Games? Speaking of stupid, I didn't do a great job of keeping up that pretense… but the few immature, sarcastic comments I managed to slip in were good enough. No, we're not friends, but I don't think we hate each other exactly. It's more like we're… allies. Not in the way we are with the other four, but something just a bit stronger. I feel like maybe I'd watch her back during a fight and trust her to do the same for me, instead of expecting her to kill me herself. That's not to say that we wouldn't turn on each other later, of course, because in the Hunger Games you can never rule out that possibility. But by the time I fall unconscious, I'm certain that there's a lot more to Glimmer Wingfield than I originally thought.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's been way too long since I updated this and I'm so sorry for that! Thank you guys for continuing to review and for being so patient. I just moved a few days ago and there is literally nothing to do in the TLF - temporary housing before we get our house, that's military life - so I finally just decided that I needed to write this chapter. I've sort of been delaying it because I wasn't sure where to go with the story between this and the Games, but it's great to be writing this again. I hope you guys are still going to read this... I didn't realize until just now how long it took to write. About three hours. :P<strong>

**Anyway, this was fun to write... this is the beginning of a deeper alliance forming between Marvel and Glimmer, which will be good for both of them since Cato and Clove, the leaders of the pack, have a strong alliance as well. I'm going to try to build on that more in the rest of the story, up until it has to end (for obvious reasons).**

**So, there's chapter nine. I hope to hear what you thought of it and I'll try to have the next chapter up shortly... I have a lot more time on my hands now that it's summer and the move is over.**

**Also - and this is IMPORTANT, okay? Please read! I've put up a poll on my page, and if anyone reading this is a Harry Potter fan I'd really appreciate it if you'd vote! It's about a potential story I'm thinking of writing and it would mean a lot if I could get your thoughts on it. Thanks!**

**To the people who's messages I haven't replied to, I'm so sorry! I've just been short on time and I'll definitely get to those... sorry for the wait! :/**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope to hear what you thought! (:**

**~What the Quell**


	10. Show Your Strengths

Chapter Ten: Show Your Strengths

Our alliance is subdued during training the day we're scheduled to receive scores from the Gamemakers. We stick together as a group, hitting various stations, but our conversation and laughter is more forced than the previous two days. I stay near Glimmer, mostly, wary of Cato and Clove. I do my best to insert the occasional not-so-witty remark, but for the most part, I stay quiet.

The thing is, I'm a bit worried.

It's irrational. It's stupid. But it's true. I've been training for this for five years, but the whole time I never really thought about what would happen _before_ the arena. The pressure isn't eased by the fact that as the boy from District 1, I'll be going first out of all the tributes.

Glimmer rolls her eyes when I quietly voice this concern to her while the others are distracted. "Relax. Being first means they'll remember you, and everyone will have to live up to you. Quit being such a girl."

It's quite a change, not having Glimmer constantly scowling at me. I think she's even smiled once or twice today – though that might have been because I slipped on the tile. Cato and Clove got a kick out of that one, which would be annoying except that the more pathetic they think I am, the better.

So far, no one has called me on it. It's as if nothing has changed from the first two days, besides the fact that Clove seems bent on killing me the second we hit the arena. But I expected that, and she hasn't commented on the fact that I'm really not acting all that different. Maybe she does think I'm an idiot. Of course, it might just be that she's distracted by the fact that we may be gaining a new ally.

This morning, the tributes from 2 suggested that we ask Thresh from 11 to join our alliance. I glance over at him now, the giant who's even bigger than Cato. We were all enthusiastic about the opportunity – Thresh could help us out. People from his district generally know what they're doing when it comes to harvesting, so having someone who knows what's safe to eat in the arena will be a plus – and of course, he might be able to lead us to the other tribute from 11.

Lunch arrives quickly, and at a signal from Clove we all head over to where Thresh sits alone. "Hi," Cato greets him, and Thresh looks up but doesn't reply.

Glimmer and I exchange a glance as Clove offers up a spot in the alliance, assuming that it's just a formality and that he'd never even think to refuse. She doesn't seem to notice the glare that's forming on the giant's face.

"It would benefit you to join," she finishes with a smirk.

Thresh leans forward, and Clove flinches as a tidal wave of profanity, along with a refusal, is unleashed upon her. "We will never be allies. You kill me, I don't care. It's better than what you want. You go now," he spits, glowering at each of us in turn.

Looking affronted, Clove spins on her heel and leads the rest of us back to our table. I have to hold back a snicker at her expression.

"That little shit," Cato snarls. "He's going to pay."

"Definitely," Clove hisses venomously.

Glimmer does her best to calm them down, and my mind wanders ahead, thinking about what'll take place ten minutes from now.

Spears are my best bet, my best chance of getting a high score that will attract sponsors. The problem with this plan is that Cato will certainly choose the same tactic, and I can't deny that he's superior in that area. Still, he's going after me, so it's not a huge deal.

The tributes are all led outside the training room to wait to be called. I sit next to Glimmer, watching her fingers drum impatiently on the table, a nervous habit that Diamond has as well.

"Marvel Hawkwood!"

I glance up in surprise. The door has opened, and there's a Gamemaker motioning for me to follow her.

"You're up, Marvel."

I stand and turn around, giving my allies a smirk before sauntering through the door. Only Glimmer responds, giving me a small nod.

The Gamemakers are all seated at a high table that's risen above the rest of the room – the same place where they've been lingering all morning. I give them a nod, and one of them tells me, "You may begin, Mr. Hawkwood."

Without hesitation, I head towards the spears. The Gamemakers are watching me intently, a few of them taking small sips from glasses of wine. I pick up three spears and jog over to the range of dummies, throwing each at a different one.

Stomach, thigh, and stomach again – they're not fantastic throws. I don't hit any of the three dummies in the head or the chest, which are ideal, but they go deep enough that any of the wounds would be fatal. I smile to myself and repeat the process a few times, eventually hitting two in the neck.

"Can I get a sparing partner?" I call out.

One of the trainers emerges, picking up a sword. I get a good grip on a spear, and we begin to circle each other.

I lunge first, narrowly missing his shoulder thanks to the block he sends my way. I try again – he dodges. The trainer doesn't try to attack in any way, so it doesn't take much effort to disarm him after what must be less than five minutes.

I turn back to the Gamemakers – I can hear the scratching of pens as they take notes.

"You're dismissed," one of them says formally.

I nod in thanks and walk out the door, leaving the spears in the dummies but putting away the one I used to spar. I grin as I reach the elevator – really, that went fairly well. It'll earn me a score that shows I'm a talented Career, which is what sponsors want to see.

"How did it go?" Jasper asks the second I arrive on our floor.

I shrug casually. "Good. I threw some spears and sparred with a trainer."

My mentor nods. "That's great."

I head to my room to try to pass the time before the training scores are shown. I go to dinner when the time comes and eat quickly, unable to fight the queasiness that has taken over my stomach. Glimmer keeps sending me odd looks, so I must not be being very subtle about it.

Lumina, as well as Glimmer's stylist, joins us to watch the televised scores. Glimmer and I both practically sprint to the TV area when Star announces that it's time, and I have to refrain from biting my nails like Em does when she's worried about something.

"Hello, Panem!" A voice fills the room, and the Capitol seal appears on the screen. "It's that time of year again, ladies and gentlemen, where we find out what kind of potential this year's tributes have!"

"Get on with it," I snarl.

After we hear the anthem, I see my own face projected onto the screen, the same picture they'll use if I somehow end up dead in the arena. However, in that scenario, the number one would be flashing in front of it – right now, it's a number eight.

Jasper nods approvingly, and I sigh with relief. And eight – not the best of scores, but still fantastic compared to what most of the non-Careers will come up with.

"Nice job, Marvel," Lumina comments.

"Thanks," I reply.

Glimmer scores a nine, and Cato and Clove both get tens. Shell and Zen each get eights, as well, and I'm glad to see I won't be the sole lowest-scoring Career. I keep my eyes trained on the screen as the mediocre scores fly by.

Only the last four tributes break the pattern.

Thresh, who refused our invitation to join our alliance, gets a nine. Glimmer scowls when she sees this, and I shake my head. We could have used him, but… there are six of us as it is, so I'm not terribly concerned.

His district partner, a tiny twelve-year-old, gets a seven, which is impressive for someone so young. The boy from 12 – Peeta, I remember – scores an eight, which causes a few raised eyebrows. However, that's nothing compared to what's next.

Katniss Everdeen is awarded an eleven.

"No way," I hear myself say. "That's not possible."

"District _Twelve_?" Glimmer shrieks. "There's got to be a mistake!"

Jasper is shaking his head slowly. "The Gamemakers don't make mistakes, Glimmer. She must have impressed them somehow."

"It's can't be," I say dumbly. "It just can't."

"Unfortunately for you, it _can_," Jasper says curtly. "Get rid of her early, Marvel. I don't care what it takes. Kill her before she gets a chance to kill you."

"I will," I say quietly. I look at Glimmer, and she stares back at me. It's as if a silent agreement is made – we're going to kill her. Katniss Everdeen will not have a chance in these Games – nothing is going to stop us from eliminating the tribute who the Capitol calls the girl on fire.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, guys. Sorry this has taken so long, and that it's a bit rushed - I wrote this quickly in the last hour or so because I knew I really needed to post a chapter. It'll get better when we get to the arena chapters. Anyway, I should have updated this ages ago - thank you to everyone who's still following this story and leaving reviews, it means a lot. I thought moving would give me more time to write, but actually, there's been a lot going on, especially since I've just started high school. Also, I've been working on a lot of original writing, so TCMS has taken the back burner for now. Hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently now that I'm getting settled into a routine - plus I finally got a house, so that makes everything better. I hope you liked the chapter... leave a review if you have time! :) <strong>

**~ What the Quell**


	11. Final Preparations

Chapter 11: Final Preparations

"Marvel! Wake up!"

My eyes fly open, and I'm greeted by the sight of Jasper's anxious face. "About time," he snaps. "I've been trying to wake you up for a good ten minutes now."

"Sorry," I mumble groggily.

He shakes his head. "Forget about it. But we've got interview practice today, so you'd better get up."

Jasper leaves the room – presumably, he goes to the dining hall – so I quickly get dressed and follow him out. No one else is there. "Star's already working with Glimmer," Jasper tells me in response to my questioning look. "Let's get started."

He surveys me for a moment and asks, "Do you have any thoughts on what angle you'd like to play, Marvel?"

I shrug. "Sort of, I guess. You said a few days ago that you thought the protective older brother angle could work, right?"

"I'm not sure about that anymore," he says dubiously. "That was true at the time, but you chose to play dumb around your allies, so you can't suddenly turn into some fiercely loyal older sibling who's intelligent enough to get out of the arena by sheer force of will. The other tributes would have an opportunity to expose you if you tried."

"The stupid angle was _your_ idea," I remind him. "Did you think that one through all the way?"

"Of course," he says with a dismissive wave. "I just want to see what you come up with before I share my idea."

I sigh, shaking my head. "Now that you've told me that, there's clearly no point in me trying to decide. We'll just end up using your plan anyway."

Jasper frowns. "Think of it as practice. I won't be able to do all the work for you once you're in the arena."

That strikes a chord, so I rack my brain. Stupid won't work – the Capitol wants Careers who have a chance of winning. But at the same time, I can't act like a genius, because my allies still think I'm not all that bright. Jasper vetoed protective older brother… so I suppose that leaves the standard Career act, the one the audience never gets tired of.

"Arrogant," I say out loud.

Jasper gives me a genuine smile. "Good. Arrogant, or confident is what I was initially thinking – you still want to be likeable – but I think you could also pull off easygoing fairly well, so I was picturing… sort of a mix of those."

I nod slowly. "Yeah… yeah, that could work."

"Then let's practice. Pretend I'm Caesar Flickerman," he orders. I suppress a snort at the thought of my mentor wearing a bright red wig – or whatever this year's color will be.

"So, Marvel," Jasper begins, leaning forward, "can you give us any hints about your strategy for the arena?"

I smirk at him and lean back into my chair. "Well, I won't be too specific, but let's just say that the other tributes had better watch their backs."

"Good," Jasper praises, reverting to his true self. "Try adding a wink in there. Wink at the audience."

I do, and Jasper shudders.

"Right, well… we'll work on it. We're going for relaxed, kid, you don't want to look like you're trying to hard."

We keep this routine up until lunch – Jasper asks a question, I answer it, he makes a small correction, and we try again.

Lunch is good – we're served large wraps made of thick bread and meat, with sauce I don't recognize on the side. As soon as I swallow the last bite, Juna Gyde swoops into the room and snaps her bony fingers at me.

"Time to work on your presentation," she says airily. "I've just finished with Glimmer – she's back with Star now."

I stand up to follow her. Jasper calls out, "Juna – work on winking with him, will you?"

We do work on winking… and smiling… and laughing… and eyebrow raising… and after two hours of trying to block it all out, I think I start developing a twitch.

"Nicely done," Juna comments finally. "You may go."

I sigh quietly in exhaustion, wanting to sprint out of the room but somehow refraining from doing so for my escort's sake. I decide that the best plan is to go hide out in my room until dinner, because I don't think I'd be able to handle it if Jasper asks me to wink again to see what progress has been made – even normal blinking hurts as it is.

Dinner comes and goes, as does the night. This time I wake up to see not Jasper but Lumina looking down at me.

"We've got to start getting your ready for your interview tonight," she tells me. "Get up. We have a lot to do."

I don't spend much time with my prep team – I get the feeling that Lumina doesn't quite trust them to get everything right. They're dismissed after what can't be more than twenty minutes, and my stylist takes over.

"We're keeping it subtle," she says. She holds up a garment bag. "It's a regular suit, but it should be able to bring out some of your better features.

I try it on, and she's right. Looking in the mirror, it seems as if the dark blue color makes my eyes stand out – even though that sounds like something only a girl would say. But I think Lumina has done a good job, none the less.

"It makes you look taller," she observes. I grin.

"Great."

She spends about ten minutes on makeup – I spend the whole time squirming. "Quit," she says sternly. "I know you don't like it, but it's necessary to pull the whole appearance together."

"Right," I mutter. "I'll try to remember that."

"There," Lumina says triumphantly. She raises her eyebrows at me. "That's all. Was that so bad?"

_Yes_. "I guess not."

"Good," she says. "It's time to go." She looks me directly in the eyes. "Are your ready for this, Marvel?"

I smile. "Of course." And it's true. This is the final step before the Games begin for real.

* * *

><p><strong>So... major filler chapter. And it's short. I'm aware it's not super interesting... interviews next, though, and I have a better plan for that one. Then of course we'll get to the arena... which is always where the fun really begins, hahaha.<strong>

**A couple things I want to mention. First, thanks a ton to everyone who voted on the poll I put up. :) I really appreciate it. It always helps me to know what you guys _want_ to read about.**

**That brings me to the next thing - I've put a new poll up. I've been working sort of obsessively on a Battle Royale fic. I know a lot of people probably haven't heard of Battle Royale... and if that's the case, you need to read it. Now. If you like the Hunger Games - which if you're reading this story, it's safe to assume you do - you will absolutely love this book. It's actually a similar plot line to HG. A fight to the death between kids, but they're actually classmates and... I won't give anything away, but it's just incredible. It's a very unique writing style, and it's impossible not to fall in love with the characters. It's also a bit older - it was written in the 90's. I highly recommend that everyone read it. (Author is Kaushun Takami.)**

**Anyway, I've put a description of the fic I'm writing in a new poll and asked whether anyone on here would be interested in reading it. Originally I was just writing it for fun, but then I thought I might as well post it once it's finished. It would mean daily updates, haha. But hey, if there are any BR fans reading this... votes would be appreciated. You could also message me. That works too. c:**

**Thanks for putting up with that little rant - hopefully I've convinced at least a few of you to give the book a try! And of course, I hope you liked the chapter! Next one should be up relatively soon... it won't be as long of a wait as it was for this one since I actually have an idea of what I want to do with it.**

**~What the Quell**


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